AR265: ART BEFORE CORTES
SPRING 2005
Instructor: Linnea
Wren
FAA
208
Ext.
7380
Texts: See
E-Reserve Syllabus E-Title: 265Syllabus05.doc
Michael
Coe, Mexico
Robert
Sharer, The Ancient Maya
Mary
Ellen Miller, The Art of Mesoamerica
Mary Ellen Miller, Maya Art and
Architecture
Course Web
Site: http://www.gustavus.edu/~lwren/Cortez/precolumb.html
Week 1 February
7-11
Reading:
CoeMexico
Introduction
Early
Hunters
The
Archaic Period
Formative
Period: Early Villages
SharerThe
Ancient Maya
Preface
Introduction
The
Setting
Subsistence
Systems
MillerThe
Art of Mesoamerica
Introduction
Week 2 February
14-18
Reading:
CoeMexico
Formative Period: Early Civilizations
MillerThe
Art of Mesoamerica
The Olmecs
The Late Formative
E-Reserve
Evon Z. Vogt, "Some Aspects of the
Sacred Geography of Highland Chiapas," in Mesoamerican Sites and
World-Views (ed.
Elizabeth Benson), Dumbarton Oaks, 1981, pp119-142.
Writing
Assignment (1-page):
Identify the five most important topics
covered in the E-Reserve reading. Write 2-3 sentences on each topic.
Use complete sentences. Refer to specific
topics and examples within the reading. Typed, double-spaced, easily legible
font, size 12.
Week 3 February
21-25
Olmec Art Analysis: (Friday,
February 25)
Choose one Olmec artwork. You may choose an artwork from a
text or from a web site on La Venta or the Olmecs. Be sure that the web site is
listed on the web site for this course. Avoid an artwork that we have discussed
in class.
Describe the artwork as fully as you can (1 page). Then
relate the artwork to the broader cultural context as discussed by Coe, in
class, and in outside source that you locate. For example, the artwork you have
chosen may lead you to discuss Olmec political structures, or trade, or
religion (2 pages).
Find a contemporary object, image, or artwork that reveals
the same cultural issues you discussed in relation to the Olmec artwork.
Contemporary is defined as dating between 1950 and the present. The object,
image or artwork can be from any culture or geographic region. It must reveal
the same aspects of the cultural context you discussed above; i.e., political
structure, trade, religion, etc. Describe it and the way it reveals its
cultural context (1 page). Be sure you include an illustration of the object,
image or artwork. Cite your sources.
Your paper must conclude with the honor
pledge and your signature.
Week 4 February
28 - March 4
Reading:
CoeMexico
The
Classic Period
MillerThe
Art of Mesoamerica
Teotihuacan
Classic
Monte Alban, Veracruz and Cotzumalhuapa
Week 5 March
7-11
Web-Site
Go to the web site on Teotihuacan at http://archaeology.la.asu.edu/teo/
This
web site was created by the archaeological field project based in the
University of Arizona. It is the ONLY web site that you may use for this assignment.
Written
Assignment:
Two discussion points (1 well-written
paragraph each) based on the web-site reports.
Choose
one of the following:
Pyramid
of the Moon
Discussion
Point 1: Archaeologists claim that the building sequence reveals a crucial
moment in the political organization of the city. Identify this moment and the
evidence for it.
Discussion
Point 2: Until these excavations, Teotihuacan was regarded as one of the
few political states in Mesoamerica that was governed by a priestly class
rather than a ruler exercising military and political powers. The
archaeologists involved in the excavations of the Pyramid of the Moon dispute
this interpretation. They have argued that, although the site has no clear
portrait or royal rulers who exercised centralized power, the site must have
been controlled by dynastic, militaristic rulers. Examine the graves and
identify the strongest evidence that you feel either supports or refutes this
interpretation.
OR
Discussion Point 1: Archaeologists
identify a building sequence that includes an act of profanation in which part
of the faade is covered by a later structure. When did this occur? What
possible interpretation might you suggest?
Discussion Point 2: Until these
excavations, Teotihuacan was regarded as a generally pacifist state with enough
economic power to dominate the region without recourse to widespread military
force. The archaeologists who have excavated the Feathered Serpent Pyramid
dispute this interpretation. They claim "the burial data provides abundant
evidence with which to reconstruct the state ideology of ancient
Teotihuacanos." Elsewhere they have argued that this ideology is strongly
militaristic. Examine the graves and identify the strongest evidence that you
feel either supports or refutes this interpretation.
Week 6 March
14-18
Reading:
SharerThe
Ancient Maya
The
Origins of Maya Civilization
The
Pre-classic Maya
Ideology
and Cosmology
MillerMaya
Art and Architecture
Chapter
1: Introduction
Chapter
2: Maya Architecture
E-Reserve
David Freidel and Linda Schele,
"Symbol and Power: A History of the Lowland Cosmogram," in Maya
Iconography (ed
.Elizabeth Benson and Gillett Griffin) Princeton, 1988
Writing
Assignment (1-page):
Locate one example of non-Maya
architecture that is a cosmogram. Describe the meaning and function of
architectural structure. Include an illustration.
Week 7 March
21-25
Reading:
SharerThe
Ancient Maya
Trade
and External Contact
Subsistence
Systems
The
Organization of Maya Society
Hour Exam March 23
Spring Break March 25-April 3
Week 8 April
4-8
Reading:
SharerThe
Ancient Maya
The
Early Classic and the Rise of Tikal
MillerThe
Art of Mesoamerica
The
Early Classic Maya
MillerMaya
Art and Architecture
Chapter 4: Early Classic Sculpture
E-Reserve
Stephen Houston and David Stuart,
"Of Gods, Glyphs and Kings," Antiquity 70 (1996) 289-312.
Writing Assignment (1-page):
Identify the five most important topics
covered in the E-Reserve reading. Write 2-3 sentences on each topic.
Use complete sentences. Refer to specific
topics and examples within the reading. Typed, double-spaced, easily legible
font, size 12.
Week 9 April
11-15
Readings:
SharerThe
Ancient Maya
The Late Classic and the Expansion of the
Lowland States
Terminal
Classic
PostClassic
MillerThe
Art of Mesoamerica
The
Late Classic Maya
MillerMaya
Art and Architecture
Chapter 5: Late Classic Sculpture
Chapter
6: Sculpture of the North
Week 10 April
18-22
Assignment: Classic Maya Sculpture
Analysis (due Friday, April
22)
Pair with a partner. You will be given a
sculptural drawing of a ruler from Copan and a description of that image.
Identify the physical materials and artistic symbols. Create a color code for
the materials and color the image to make it legible. Then go beyond the
information in the texts I give you to understand the sculpture. Research this
ruler in the Copan chapter of Nicolai Grube's and Simon Martin's book on Maya
Kings and Queens. When
did this ruler reign? What did this ruler do? Then research the symbolism of
the sculpture further. Is the ruler a world axis in a sculptural cosmogram? Is
that symbolism combined with other aspects of rulership? Each person must
choose one different element in the costume and research that element, its
symbolism and significance.
Some helpful sources will be found in
Late Classic Maya Sculpture Analysis/Bibliography (see course packet).
Present colored drawing and information
in class.
(4 pages maximum).
Your assignment must conclude with the
honor pledge and your signature.
Week 11 April 25-29
Reading:
SharerThe
Ancient Maya
Arithmetic, Calendrics and Astronomy
Language
and Writing
MillerMaya
Art and Architecture
Chapter 7: The Human Form
Chapter
8: Maya Murals and Books
E-Reserve
Arthur Miller, "Comparing Maya Image
and Text", in Word and Image in Maya Culture (ed. William Hanks and Don Rice),
University of Utah Press, 1989, 176-188.
Writing
Assignment:
Arthur
Miller argues that the Western tradition is text-oriented, but that the Maya
tradition is not. He proposes that Maya images are not intended to be mere
illustrations of text, but that they envision information, thoughts and
concepts beyond what can be expressed in texts.
Discuss
his central idea in 1-2 paragraphs.
Locate
a contemporary example of text and image that are used together but in which
the image presents fluid qualities of meaning while the text presents a
specific meaning. Explain in 1-2 paragraphs. Include your example.
Week 12 May
2-6
Reading:
Miller
Maya Art and Architecture
Chapter 9: Maya Ceramics
Chapter
10: A World of Hand-held Objects
May
4May Day (no class)
Week 13 May 9-13
Reading:
CoeMexico
The
Postclassic
Postclassic
Period: The Aztec Empire
MillerThe
Art of Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
after the Fall of the Classic Cities
The
Aztecs
SharerThe
Ancient Maya
The
Spanish Conquest
Mexican Muralists/Bibliography
Assignment: Mexican Muralists (due May
18) (4-6
pages)
Study
the depiction of one human or supernatural figure in Mesoamerican art.
Understand the status, actions, costume, symbolism and significance of the
figure. Then locate a comparable figure in a mural or painting by a Latin
America, Latino, Chicano or Hispanic artist of the 20th century.
Early 20th century artists include Diego Rivera, David Alfaro
Siqueiros, and Jose Clemente Orozco, Frida Kahlo and Maria Izquierdo. Later
artists include Alma Lopez, Yolanda Lopez, Judith Baca and Guillermo
Gomez-Pena. Compare and contrast the representation of the modern figure to the
ancient Mesoamerican figure. Then study the use (if any) of the indigenous past
by the modern muralist. How is the past used? What is conveyed about both the
past and the present? Some sources are listed in the Mexican Muralists Bibliography.
You may also use the on-line data base search engine for Art Index.
Each assignment must be typed. Write in complete sentences.
Your assignment must conclude with the
honor pledge and your signature.
Week 14 May
16-18
PowerPoint Presentations of Mexican
Muralists
Finals May
21(S) 10:30-12:30 Second Hour Exam
Course Syllabus
I reserve the right to alter the syllabus
according to needs of the college professor/class.
Attendance Policy
Attendance
is required. Attendance means being in class and on time. Being late is counted
as an absence. Attendance also means being awake, alert and engaged in class.
If your body is present, but your mind is elsewhere, you will be considered
absent. Therefore, if your eyes are closed, if you are unprepared, if you are
not entering into discussions, if you have alternate activities engaging you,
you will be marked as absent.
Absence Policy
You are permitted 3 absences without
lowering your grade. Each further absence will lower your final grade by 1/3 a
grade. For example, a final class grade of B will be lowered to B- by a fourth
class day absence, to C+ by a fifth class day absence, etc. No absences beyond 3 will be excused, no
matter what your reason. Use the 3 absences wisely. It is your decision whether you utilize
your 3 absences for personal reasons, health reasons or family reasons. But any
and all absences beyond 3 will result in a progressive lowering of your class
grade. Also note: this is your first and final warning. I will not be sending out warnings when your
absences exceed 3 and when further absences result in a lowered grade. You must
keep count of your own attendance. I take attendance at the beginning of each
class session. If you are not present at the beginning of class when I take attendance,
you may join the class, but you will be marked as absent. Be on time.
In case of absence, it is the student's
responsibility to contact a classmate and get caught-up with the contents of
class and with any changes in the syllabus. I will not answer emails about
daily and weekly assignments.
Participation Policy
This course requires that you be active
in asking questions, joining discussions and presenting materials on a daily
basis. While I do not add points to your final grade based on participation, I
do lower your final grade if you do not participate.
Telephone Calls
If you use voice mail and request that
your instructors return your calls, consider the following. What message have
you recorded on your answering machines? Most professors want to respond as
quickly and painlessly as possible. This means that we do not want to listen to
excerpts from your favorite book/poetry/music/or mating calls of animals in the
wild. If you choose to have such a message, I will choose not to listen or reply.
Reaching me by email is preferable to
telephone. My email is lwren@gustavus.edu
Remember that reaching the email server is different than reaching me. I do not
access my email 24/7. I access my email 2-3 times a day during working hours on
days when I am in the office. I do not access my email in the evening, on
weekends, when I am traveling or on days I am not in the office.
All assignments are due at the beginning
of class. No assignment will be accepted unless it is:
1. Hard copy. Any attempt to email
assignments will be automatically deleted.
2. Typed in a legible, size 12 font
3. Printed out in black dark ink.
4. Stapled in correct order. Neither I
nor my colleagues nor the department assistant provides staples and staplers
for your assignments. Don't even ask. Assemble your assignments before coming
to class.
Start your assignments early enough to
anticipate computer and printer problems. Mechanical difficulties in printing
out your assignments will be treated no differently than any other reasons for
the tardiness of an assignment.
Late Assignments
Reading Discussion Points and Web Site
Discussion Points must be turned in at the beginning of class. 1/2 of your total
points will be subtracted if the assignment is late. No assignment will be
accepted if it is more than 1 class day late. While this seems harsh, the point
of these assignments is to assist you to be active and informed class
participants. Tardiness in completing the assignments nullifies a significant
part of the purpose they serve.
The above rule applies to papers. Again,
these assignments will become part of class discussion, and the value of the
assignment will be significantly diminished if it is late.
Academic Honesty
The faculty of Gustavus Adolphus College
expects all students to adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty,
and to refrain from any action which impinges upon the academic freedom of
other members of the college community. In all academic exercises,
examinations, papers and reports, students shall submit their own work.
Footnotes or some other acceptable form of citation must accompany any use of
another's words or ideas. The faculty regards the damaging of library materials
and programs as equally serious violations of the ethical standards of
courtesy, fairness, and honesty that bind together a community of scholars.
Finally, students who serve the college in positions of responsibility in which
they deal with test materials, letters of recommendations, and other matters
which must be held in confidence are expected to maintain confidentiality and
to adhere to the same high standards of personal integrity.
I adhere to this standard on Academic
Honesty. Any violation of this standard will result in failure in this course.
Such a violation will also be reported to the Dean of Students.
Points Points
Vogt 3
Teotihuacan 3
Cosmogram 3
Houston
& Stuart 3
Miller 3
Papers:
PowerPoint Presentation 10
Hour Exams:
March
23 15
May
21 15
Total 100
Mexican Muralists
Bibliography
Signs From the Heart: California Chicano Murals, edited with an introduction by Eva Sperling Cockcroft and Holly Barnet-Snchez. Venice, Calif.: Social and Public Art Resource Center; Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1993
GAC ND2635.C2 S56 1993
Miller, Mary Ellen
The Murals of Bonampak, Mary Miller. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, c.1986.
GAC Oversize F1219.1.C45 M55 1986
Reed, Alma M.
The Mexican Muralists, New York, Crown Publishers [1960].
GAC ND2644.R32