ARH 347M Maya Art and Architecture

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1 SYLLABUS Fall 2016 ARH 347M Maya Art and Architecture Prof. David Stuart Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-2:00 PM Location: DFA Instructor Prof. David Stuart Office: ART (in The Mesoamerica Center) Fall 2016 Office Hours: Tuesdays, 3:00-4:30 PM Telephone: Course Description Ancient Maya civilization emerged some 3000 years ago within a larger cultural region called Mesoamerica, or what is today southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Over the course of more than two thousand years, the Maya developed one of the great civilizations of the ancient world, well- known for its impressive ruins, temple pyramids and palaces, stone sculptures, and elaborate hieroglyphic writing system. The city- states of Palenque, Tikal, Calakmul, and Copan (among a great many others), were political and cultural centers where artistic space dominated the scenery, often conveying important messages about kings, noble status, and their connection to gods and the greater cosmos. Great changes came with the collapse of the Classic period around AD, when a great many old cities were abandoned and new ones rose, seemingly based on very different ideologies and visual cultures. The arrival of the Spanish in the sixteenth century then brought near- destruction to the indigenous world, but the Maya and other Mesoamerican peoples emerged resilient in the wake of conquest; today six- million strong, the modern Maya continue to express their cultural identity in the art and politics of modern Mexico and Guatemala. This course will examine the ancient Maya using art, architecture and visual culture in general as windows into their culture, history, politics, and religion. It is more than an art class, for no adequate study of the ancient Maya can confine itself using modern academic categories of study. Context is always key to an understanding of Maya art, so we will examine a number of

2 different aspects the civilization and its study. Topics will include: the early history of Maya archaeology (how do we know what we know?), the nature of early urbanism and how it developed (how did early Maya mega- cities suddenly emerge in the rain forest around 400 BC?), the nature of the elaborate Maya writing system (what do the newly deciphered texts say?), as well as the religion and ritual that underlie so much of the art itself (what is the inherent power of religious art?). These are just a few of many aspects of Maya civilization we will study in the coming months. Note: This course may be used to fulfill the visual and performing arts (VAPA) component of the university core curriculum and address the following four core objectives established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: communication skills, critical thinking skills, teamwork, and social responsibility. Class Format We meet two days a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:30 PM. Please be on time, as late arrivals are very disruptive. The lecture content on those days forms the intellectual heart of the course and attendance is essential. Please know that not everything you will study will be covered in the readings!! We will also work in a good deal of discussion time during those hours in class. Lecture outlines and handouts will be given on many days (a small three- ring binder for them is recommended) and will be posted on Canvas as well. The class is by nature very visual and lectures will be lengthy presentations. PDFs of those slides will be posted on Canvas within a couple of days of lecture. Use of laptops, etc. Please note that the use of laptops, tablets or smartphones is not allowed during lectures. As a general rule you will benefit from taking your notes by hand, with far less distraction. Exams and Quiz A mid- term exam will be given in class on October 20, covering all materials from readings and lectures up to that time. The day of the cumulative final exam will be announced later in the term. A short 15- minute map quiz given on September 6 will ensure your familiarity with places mentioned in reading and lectures. Written Assignments Two essays will be assigned over the course of the semester, each 7 pages minimum in length. One is due in class on October 11 and the other on November 17. Hard copies must be turned- in at our class meeting (no ed files, please). Details on these assignments will be announced and discussed several weeks ahead of time.

3 Readings Readings for this class are substantial and essential. Most of our weekly readings will come from the three required texts, but occasionally I will assign supplementary articles and post pdf files of these on Canvas. The required books, available at the University Co- op, are: Michael D. Coe and Stephen Houston, The Maya (9 th edition; do not use earlier ones) David Start, The Order of Days: Unlocking the Secrets of the Ancient Maya (paperback edition) Mary Miller and Megan O Neil, Maya Art and Architecture (2 nd edition) Assigned readings are listed in detail in course schedule below. It is very important to have all readings completed before the lectures under which they are listed, so do keep up. Please note that other additional readings or other modifications to the present version of the syllabus may be announced in- class and/or through group s. Please pay close attention for any updates. Important Dates for Assignments, Exams, etc: September 6 Map Quiz (in class) October 11 (Essay 1 due) October 20 Midterm Exam November 17 (Essay 2 due) TBA Final Exam

Schedule of Lectures, Readings and Assignments August 25 13.0.3.13.0 5 Ahau 3 Mol A First Look at the Ancient Maya August 30 13.0.3.13.5 10 Chichan 8 Mol Setting the Stage: Cultures, Periods and Environments of Mesoamerica Coe and Houston, The Maya, pp.

4 Schedule of Lectures, Readings and Assignments August Ahau 3 Mol A First Look at the Ancient Maya August Chichan 8 Mol Setting the Stage: Cultures, Periods and Environments of Mesoamerica Coe and Houston, The Maya, pp Stuart, The Order of Days, Preface, pp. 1-29, September Manik 10 Mol The Discovery of the Ancient Maya Miller and O Neil, Maya Art and Architecture, Chapter 1 Stuart and Stuart, An Ancient City Discovered and Visitors Spread the Word (chapter excerpts) September Eb 15 Mol Maya Origins: The Early and Middle Pre- Classic Periods **Map Quiz at start of class Coe and Houston, pp Evans, What is a Civilization? (chapter excerpt) Inomata, et al., Early Ceremonial Constructions at Ceibal, Guatemala, and the Origins of Maya Civilization (article) September Ix 17 Mol Monumentality and The Late Pre- Classic Period Coe and Houston, pp , Miller and O Neil, Chapters 2 September Cauac 2 Ch en Iconography and the Murals of San Bartolo Saturno, The Maize God and the Mythology of Kings: Maya Paintings at San Bartolo (article) Saturno, Stuart and Beltran, Early Maya Writing at San Bartolo, Guatemala (article) Miller and O Neil, beginning of Chapter 9 up to p. 212 only.

5 September Imix 4 Ch en Film: Breaking the Maya Code (Prof. Stuart in Yucatan) September Cimi 9 Ch en The Fusion of Art and Language: Reading Maya Hieroglyphs **Exercise 1 due at start of class Coe and Houston, pp Roberts, The Decipherment of Ancient Maya (article) Stuart and Houston, Ancient Maya Writing (article) September Lamat 11 Ch en Time and the Cosmos (Exercise I due) Coe and Houston, review pp Stuart, pp Stuart, The Misunderstanding of Maya Math (blog post) September Ben 16 Ch en History and the Art of Politics Coe and Houston, pp Stuart, pp September Men 18 Ch en The Early Classic Entrada : Disruption and New Foundations **Exercise 2 due Coe and Houston, pp Miller and O Neil, Chapter 5 October Ahau 3 Yax Cities and Urban Design: The Case of Classic Tikal Coe and Houston, pp Miller and O Neil, Chapter 3 up to p. 51 October Ik 5 Yax Design and Meaning in Maya Temples Miller and O Neil, rest of Chapter 3, pp Houston, Temple of the Night Sun (article) October Manik 10 Yax The Art and Architecture of Copan, Part I **Essay 1 due Coe and Houston, pp Miller and O Neil, pp

6 October Muluc 12 Yax The Art and Architecture of Copan, Part II W. Fash, Honoring the Founder and Stelae (book excerpts) NB: Extra office hours this week October Ix 17 Yax Film: Lost King of the Maya (Prof. Stuart in Moscow) October Cib 19 Yax Midterm Exam (Prof. Stuart in Moscow) October Imix 4 Zac Craft and Art Production in Palace Society Coe and Houston, pp Miller and O Neil, Chapter 2 and pp October Akbal 6 Zac Ritual and Sacrifice in Maya Art and Religion Coe and Houston, pp Stuart, Ideology and Classic Maya Kingship (article) November Lamat 11 Zac Demonic Vases and Witchcraft Miller and ONeil, pp Stuart, The Ways of Witchcraft (article) November Oc 13 Zac Calakmul and the Kaanul Kingdom Coe and Houston, pp Miller and O Neil, pp Vance, In Search of the Lost Empire of the Maya (article) November Men 18 Zac River Rivals: Yaxchilan and Piedras Negras Coe and Houston, pp Miller and O Neil, pp November Caban Seating of Ceh The Mural Paintings of Bonampak Miller and Houston,

7 November Ik 5 Ceh The Art and Architecture of Palenque, Part I Coe and Houston, pp Stuart and Stuart, Palenque and its World November Kan 7 Ceh The Art and Architecture of Palenque, Part II **Essay 2 due Miller and O Neil, pp Stuart and Stuart, The King of Kings and The House of Resurrection (chapter excerpts) November Muluc 12 Ceh Ends and Transitions: The Collapse of the Classic Maya Coe and Houston, pp November Chuen 14 Ceh Thanksgiving No class November Cib 19 Ceh Chichen Itzá and the Post- Classic Arrangement Coe and Houston, pp Miller and O Neil, Chapter 7 and pp Wren, Chichen Itza The Site and its People (chapter excerpt) December Etz nab 1 Mac Final Class and Overview Note: December 3 is, appropriately, a Period Ending! Ahau 3 Mac

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