ANTH 4825E - Archaeology of Americas Topics: International Study Belize
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 01, CRN 43843,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Matt O'Mansky
Email: meomansky@ysu.edu
Course Description
4825E. Archaeology of Americas Topics: International Study Belize. Examination of the archaeological evidence of the development of New World cultures. Topics vary by semester and may include historical archaeology, North American prehistory, Ohio prehistory, Maya, Aztec and Inca, South American prehistory, and others. Prereq.: ANTH 1500: Introduction to Anthropology. 3 s.h.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | The Maya, 10th edition | Coe, Michael D. and Stephen Houston | 9780500295144 |
| Optional | The Ancient Maya, 6th edition | Sharer, Robert J. and Loa P. Traxler | 9780804748179 |
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | Coe and Houston, ch. 1 “Introduction” | Introduction to the course – and the trip | None |
| 8/31 | O’Mansky, Matt (2017) “The Mesoamerican Ballgame: Sport and Violence in the Beginning” | Introduction to the Ancient Maya: Geography, Chronology, and the Concept of Mesoamerica | None |
| 9/7 | None | The Popol Vuh: An Introduction to the Religion of the Ancient Maya | None |
| 9/14 | Coe and Houston, ch. 6 “Maya Thought and Culture” | A Closer Look at Ancient Maya Religion | None |
| 9/21 | Coe and Houston, chs, 2 “The Earliest Maya” and 3 “The Rise of Maya Society” | The Preclassic period in the Lowlands: Early Village Life…and Giant Cities? | None |
| 9/28 | Coe and Houston, ch. 4 “Classic Splendor: The Early Period” Stuart, David (2000) “The Arrival of Strangers” |
The Early Classic Transition: Teotihuacan and the Arrival of Strangers | None |
| 10/5 | Martin, Simon and Nikolai Grube (1995) “Maya Superstates | The Early-Middle Classic Dynasties and the “Great War” | None |
| 10/12 | “Settlement and Subsistence: The Rain Forest Adaptation” from Demarest, Arthur (2004) Ancient Maya. | Ecology and Civilization: The Secret of Maya Rainforest Adaptations | None |
| 10/19 | “The Ancient Maya Economy” from Sharer, Robert J. and Loa P. Traxler (2004) The Ancient Maya, 6th ed. | Classic Maya Settlement and Economics | None |
| 10/26 | Coe and Houston, ch. 6, pp. 198-200 and 203-212 (Review) | Maya Hieroglyphics, Epigraphy, and Calendrics | None |
| 11/2 | Coe and Houston, ch. 5 “Classic Splendor: The Late Period” | Late Classic Period Maya Civilization | None |
| 11/9 | Coe and Houston, ch. 7 “The Terminal Classic” O’Mansky, Matt and Arthur A. Demarest (2007) “Status Rivalry and Warfare in the Development and Collapse of Classic Maya Civilization” |
The Collapse of Classic Maya Civilization | None |
| 11/16 | Coe and Houston, chs. 8 “The Postclassic”, 9 “Maya Life on the Eve of the Conquest, and 10 “The Enduring Maya” | A very brief look at the Postclassic, Conquest, and Modern Maya | None |
| 11/23 | None | Pre-departure orientation (mandatory) | None |
| 11/30 | None | A review of sites we’ll visit: Lamanai, Caracol, Xunantunich, Yaxha, Aguateca, and Tikal | None |
| 12/7 | TRIP! Depart Thurs., 12/10; Return Sun., 12/20 (details on Blackboard | Journal due on Blackboard Wed., 12/23 (typed) |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.