Spanish 323 - The Aztec and Maya

An exploration of the two major indigenous civilizations of Mesoamerica, the Aztec and Maya, from the pre-classic period, starting in circa 200 B.C. through the arrival of the Europeans in the sixteenth century and up to the present time. Students will look at the myth of origins, the pantheon of deities, the agricultural, political, social, religious, gender, and linguistic customs, taxation, art and representation, and military endeavors. Discussion will be grounded in the concepts of time, space, honor, family, and life after death. Foundational texts such as the Popol Vuh and the work of king/warrior/poet Nezahualcóyotl, among others, will be analyzed. A detailed exploration of the Spanish conquest, the strategies of defiance, and diasporas that resulted from it will be part of the survey, as will be ways the two civilizations, with their respective cultures and languages, have resisted assimilation in the more than 500 years. Conducted in Spanish.

Requisite: SPAN 301 or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring Semester: Professor Stavans

How to handle overenrollment: Giving slots to seniors and juniors, in that order.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Emphasis on written work, readings, independent research, oral presentations, groupwork, in-class quizzes or exams, artistic work, visual and aural analysis.