ABSTRACT

Prehistory of South America, with emphasis on the Andean region. Problems of the documentation and interpretation of cultural development.

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COURSE DESCRIPTION

Anthropology 340 is an upper-division area course in South American archaeology. The course concentrates primarily on the prehistory of the Central Andean culture area, especially within Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, northwest Argentina, and northern Chile. The tropical lowland region of the Upper Amazon basin will be briefly considered as well, while most other areas of the continent will not be covered in class. The course examines how both ethnohistory and anthropology--including cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics--have contributed to the study of human occupation in these areas, from the earliest colonization during the late Pleistocene period, through the rise of civilization, to the ultimate demise of the Inca empire at the hands of Spanish invaders.

As is true of many archaeology courses, Anthropology 340 takes an evolutionary approach to prehistory. The course traces the processes of cultural change over a period of at least 12,000 years of prehistory, from early, small-scale egalitarian societies of hunter-gatherers to all-powerful, expansionistic states and empires. In this case, however, the course begins with the end--Inca civilization around the time of the Spanish invasion--and then proceeds period by period from earliest times forward once again to the time of the Incas. This approach allows for a theoretical consideration of the utility of analogy in archaeology: to what extent can Inca civilization, as understood from the combined efforts of archaeologists and ethnohistorians, be used as an explanatory model for interpreting earlier state-level societies known to us only through archaeology?

The subject matter covered in this class includes a combination of basic, well-known, widely published material as well as research findings and experiences of the instructor in several projects conducted on the Peruvian desert coast, the Central Andean highlands, and the humid eastern slopes region of the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, and northwest Argentina.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

• To become familiar with major developments in the culture history of the Central Andean region.
  
• To gain a greater understanding of the complex interrelationship between culture and environment, especially in the context of Andean zonation.
• 
  To gain a greater appreciation for and understanding of the processes of cultural evolution, as illustrated by the growth of complex society in the Central Andes.
  
• To better understand how the many "tools" of archaeology--lithic and ceramic analyses, settlement pattern studies, archaeobotanical and archaeozoological analyses, stratigraphy, chronometric dating, geo-archaeology, ethnographic analogy, and so on--are applied toward the principal goals of anthropological archaeology: to construct culture histories, reconstruct past lifeways, and learn about the processes of cultural change.
  
• To become familiar with a distinctly Andean cultural perspective, as perceived through archaeology, ethnohistory, and ethnology, and to appreciate the contrast between this native Andean view of the world and that of modern, Western civilization.
  
• To better appreciate the clash of Andean and Western (Hispanic) cultural systems, beginning with the Spanish invasion and conquest in the sixteenth century and continuing in some respects into modern times.

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PREREQUISITES

Anthropology 175 (Archaeology of the Americas) is recommended, but not required; it is preferable that students already be familiar with anthropology and archaeology in general, and with major stages in the prehistory of the Americas. The single most important requirement for this course is a sincere interest in learning about South American prehistory, and a willingness to work hard to pursue that interest.

Students without any prior instruction in archaeology might consult one or two of the many good introductory texts on the subject, some of which are listed below:

• Ashmore, Wendy, and Robert Sharer
  1996. Discovering Our Past: A Brief Introduction to Archaeology. Second Edition. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield.

• Eddy, Frank W.
  1991. Archaeology: A Cultural-Evolutionary Approach. Second edition. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
  
• Fagan, Brian M.
  1997. Archaeology: A Brief Introduction. Sixth edition. New York: Harper Collins.
  
• Hayden, Brian
  1993. Archaeology: The Science of Once and Future Things. New York: W. H. Freeman.
  
• Patterson, Thomas C.
  1993 Archaeology: The Historical Development of Civilizations. Second Edition. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
  
• Thomas, David Hurst
  1989 Archaeology. Second edition. Fort Worth, TX: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

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METHODOLOGY

The class will meet for about an hour and a half two afternoons each week. Much of this time will be allocated to lecture, but question, comments, and discussion should be an integral part of the classroom format. Slides, videos, and/or maps will also be part of each session, and it is essential that students acquire a strong visual awareness of the subject matter, including artifacts, architecture, and the natural environmental setting. Short student presentations on individual research subjects or assigned topics may be inserted into the schedule as time allows. Attendance is mandatory, and students are expected to participate in discussions and be familiar with the subject matter.

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DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS

CMU provides individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in educational programs, activities, and services. Students with disabilities requiring accommodations to participate in class activities or meet course requirements should notify Student Disability Services in the Office of Student Life (Foust 251, phone 3018) and should also contact the instructor as soon as possible.

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REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

• Moseley, Michael Edward.
  1992 The Incas and Their Ancestors. New York: Thames & Hudson.
  
• Other required readings will be assigned on a week-to-week basis from books and articles on reserve in the library.

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SCHEDULE

This is only a tentative schedule; modifications will likely be made as the semester progresses. The readings assigned below correspond to the material to be discussed that week. In addition to the designated chapters of the textbook, there may be reserve readings assigned from week to week. It is advisable to read assigned chapters before the lecture.

EVALUATION

• Tests: Students will be evaluated on the basis of three exams, one individual project, and participation and any exercises during class. Tests may include material covered in readings, lecture, discussions, or audio-video presentations. They will most likely be essay exams. The first two will be over material covered specifically during the previous section of the course, while the third will be a comprehensive final exam (during finals week) over the entire semester, but with greater emphasis on the third and last section.
  
• Project: This will be an individual research project consisting of a formal paper following standard rules of writing and citation (as specified in class), to be submitted toward the end of the term, and possibly a brief, informal (not read from a prepared text) presentation to the class. Topics should be selected in consultation with the instructor during the first few weeks of class, and various steps in the development of the paper will be reviewed in accordance with a schedule of dates announced during the semester.
  
• Other: This may include class participation (even though much of the class time will be devoted to lecture), class presentations on an assigned topic, and brief exercises (map quizzes, short essay, etc.) that may be done during class, on material being discussed at the time.
  
• Weights: An approximate weighting system for these grades is given below, subject to slight modifications during the semester:

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RESERVE READINGS

In addition to readings assigned in the textbook by Moseley, there will be numerous readings, designated as either required or optional, from materials available at the Reserve Desk on the first floor of Park Library. Reserve reading assignments will be made on a week-by-week basis in class, and the list of materials on reserve will be updated throughout the semester.

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Anthropology 340
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