HNRS-270 | The Maya World-Global

Full Title: The Maya World-Global

Topic Description:

This course introduces students to Maya history and civilization, from the Pre-Classic to the present day. We will focus primarily on the Classic period (roughly 250 A.D. to 900 A.D.), with as many glances at other regional cultures (e.g. Olmecs, Teotihuacan, Toltecs and Aztecs) as possible. We will examine questions such as: What was daily Maya life like as viewed through the lens of written record and oral tradition? What aspects of that life and worldview continue to shape today’s Maya world? What importance does the Popol Vuh, the Maya myth of creation, hold in contemporary Latin America and beyond? Responses to these and other questions will draw upon a variety of disciplines, including History, Literature, Archaeology, Anthropology, Astronomy, Medicine, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, and Agriculture. The course will focus on numerous factors that have shaped Maya society, specifically in Guatemala, on the Yucatan peninsula, and in Campeche, Mexico

Counts as Global? Yes

Topic Approved: March 2020