Course Form (One form per course, lab, or recitation)
NORTHEAST Integrated Curriculum Committee

Date: 9/25/2022
1.

Contact person: Damien Marken
Phone:

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415 680 5861

Email: dmarken@bloomu.edu

Department: Anthropology, Criminal Justice & Sociology
Program: Anthropology

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Tracking # (For Provost office use only)

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CIP# (For Provost office use only)

5.

Select which actions you are requesting for X__ Undergraduate __ Graduate
☒ Course Modified for Integration

6.

☐ Course Not Previously Offered at any campus

Click modalities that the course may be offered (80% +)
☒Face-to-Face/In person ☒ Online (100%) ☐ Interactive TV ☒ Multi-modal

New University
Course Prefix

New University
Course Number

New University
Course Title

ANTH

310

Mesoamerican Archaeology

Current University
Course Prefix
ANTHRO

Current University
Course Number
310

Current University
Course Title
Aztecs and Mayas

*Only list Current Courses that are equivalent to the New Course

BU: ANTHRO

310

Aztecs and Mayas

LHU:
MU:
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New Course for Integrated University
7. Will the course be seeking General Education approval?
☒ No ☐ Yes (if yes, go to next section General Education Approval- click on this link)
8. Resources at Each Campus: List any resources, including faculty, facilities, technology,
equipment, or library resources necessary at each campus listed above.
This course may be offered in the load of current faculty and will be available to all three
campuses. For face-to-face offering there are no additional resources need beyond current
classroom technology. For online offering there are no additional resources needed. For multimodal offering classroom will need to be equipped with proper technology to facilitate
synchronous communications with faculty member and students in-person and those students
that are accessing the class remotely. This course existed prior to integration and was offered at
the Bloomsburg University campus.
Identify on which campuses the course is intended to be offered in the integrated university
(for administration use only):
☒ BU

☒ LHU

☒ MU

9. Identify Departments/Programs/Courses impacted by changes on this form (Identify any
programs/departments/courses that may be impacted by course changes. Contact programs,
departments to obtain support if you are offering a course that will impact their program:
No other departments, courses, programs, campuses are impacted.
10. Indicate Semester and Year Course will be implemented: Spring semester 2023
1. Provide a rationale for how this course relates to the mission and goals of the related program:
A B.A. in Anthropology provides students with skills needed to understand social and cultural
systems, and helps them develop critical thinking, analytical, problem-solving, and presentation
skills necessary for professional success. The goals of the Anthropology program are to have
students be able to: 1. Identify diverse worldviews, 2. Describe anthropological theories, 3. Apply
ethical principles in research, 4. Conduct research, 5. Demonstrate effective communication skills,
and 6. Evaluate the viability of potential solutions
ANTH310 summarizes the development of complex societies in Mesoamerica (Central and
Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras and El Salvador), highlighting both shared
Mesoamerican cultural traits and differences in cultural evolution (This is related to Goal 1 of the
Anthropology Program). This is accomplished through examination and discussion of the
development and evolution of environmental adaptation, ascribed leadership, long-distance
exchange, monumental and infrastructural construction, socio-economic stratification, and
warfare through the lenses of neo-evolutionary and practice theory (This is related to Goal 2 of
the Anthropology Program). Students will design and conduct a semester-long research project
on an anthropological topic and Mesoamerican case study of their choice (This is related to Goal 4
of the Anthropology Program). This multi-staged research project will culminate with a final
research paper (This is related to Goal 5 of the Anthropology Program).
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ANTH310 will benefit the university by providing a multifaceted course that highlights the history
and cultural achievements of the indigenous peoples of Central America and that will contribute
to an educated student body with a deeper understanding of global history and non-European
cultures.
The quality of the course will be monitored by the department assessment
committee. The assessment results will be utilized to assist the department in meeting our
program and general education goals as well as helping in long-term planning for curriculum and
development. Data from course assessment will be transmitted to the university Office of
Planning and Assessment.
11. Abbreviated Title (for Master Schedule, Maximum 20 spaces): Mesoamerican Archaeology
12. Course Description for Catalog (Maximum 75 words -start with an action verb.):
Surveys the prehistoric cultures of Mexico and Central America. Examines the development of
complex societies and states, such as the Olmec, Zapotecs, Teotihuacan, Maya, and Aztecs.
Discussion focuses on the interplay between social organization, ecology, and ideological power.
Open to all students.
Credit(s): 3
Clock Hours: 3

Lecture: 3 hours

Recitation: hours Lab: hours

Contract Hours: 3 Lecture: 3 hours

Recitation: hours Lab: hours

13. Prerequisites (Courses completed prior to taking this course):
NONE
14. Co-requisites (Courses which must be taken simultaneously with other courses):
N/A
15. Enrollment Restrictions (e.g., limited to majors in program XXX, restricted from majors in program
XXX, etc.):
N/A
16. Repeatable: Can this course be repeated for credit as a multi-topic class, not just for a grade
change?
☒ No ☐ Yes: How many times is the course repeatable?
17. Dual-Level or Cross-Listed: Is this course dual-level? ☐Yes ☒No.
If yes, list the course prefix and number.
If dual-level, indicate content, assignments, and assessments for graduate and undergraduate
courses on two separate Master Course Syllabus forms. Cross-Listed is across multiple
departments/programs.

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18. Estimated Frequency of Offering: Alternating Fall semesters—this course is a required core
elective for the Archaeology Minor and an elective for the Anthropology Major and Minor and the
Latin American Studies Minor.
19. Recommended class size for student success: Provide the recommended class size number and a
clear rationale based on accreditation guidelines, discipline standards, or pedagogical limitations.
The recommended class size for student success is 25. This course is writing, presentation, and
discussion intensive. The recommended class size is to meet the needs of students by allowing for
meaningful classroom discussions, more personal communication, inclusion of all students in
assessment of performance in formal and informal presentation settings, and working with
students on a one-on-one basis, and it is based on review of student performance.

Submit a Master Course Syllabus – (see attached)

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General_Education_Approval
Locate the required Curricular Theme, Program Goal, and Learning Objectives and Desired Outcomes for
your selected area of this program in the General Education Plan (click on this link).
GE-1: Select the Curricular Theme and Program Goal you are applying from the drop down below (click
on the words Choose an item, then click on the arrow and select one option):

Choose an item.
Not a GE Course
GE-2: How does your course fit into the General Education Curricular Theme and Program Goal to which
you are applying (be sure to address all of the required areas of the selected Program Goal)?
GE-3: List the Course Specific SLOs that correspond to the General Education SLOs of the relevant
Curricular Theme and Program Goal and explain how your course will meet each one of these Course
Objectives. Please be specific and use examples to align in column two and to demonstrate how this will be
implemented in column three.
Course Specific Student Learning
Objectives (SLOs)

General Education Student
Learning Objectives (SLOs)

How do the methods and
structure of the course provide
students with the opportunity
to meet each aligned pair of
General Education and Course
Specific SLOs?

Submit the Master Course Syllabus (including assessment) in addition to this form to be considered for
General Education approval.

5

Signatures
Required
Signatures

Name

Date

Department
Chairperson

By typing my name in the box above, I am electronically signing this form. Dean, ICC Chair, and
President/Designee will sign to indicate approval directly in SharePoint.

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MASTER COURSE SYLLABUS
NORTHEAST Integrated Curriculum Committee

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DATE PREPARED: 9/25/2022
PREPARED BY: Damien Marken
DEPARTMENT: Anthropology, Criminal Justice & Sociology
Program: Anthropology
COURSE PREFIX & NUMBER (without space in-between): ANTH310
COURSE TITLE: Mesoamerican Archaeology
CREDIT HOURS: 3
RECOMMENDED CLASS SIZE: 25
PREREQUISITES/CO-REQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION FOR CATALOG: Surveys the prehistoric cultures of Mexico and
Central America. Examines the development of complex societies and states, such as the
Olmec, Zapotecs, Teotihuacan, Maya, and Aztecs. Discussion focuses on the interplay
between social organization, ecology, and ideological power. Open to all students. Serves
as a foundational elective for the Archaeology Minor, and an elective course for the
Anthropology Major and Minor and the Latin American Studies minor; lecture and
discussion; offered alternating Fall semesters.

10. CONTENT DESCRIPTION: The following areas of study will be included:

I.

Introduction to Mesoamerica
A. Defining terms
1. Cultural ecology
2. Cultural evolution / Neo-evolutionary perspective
3. Complex society, chiefdom, state
4. Understanding the dimensions and sources of power (Mann 1986)
B. Defining Mesoamerica
1. Geography of Mesoamerica
2. Mesoamerican cultural regions
3. Shared Mesoamerican cultural traits

II.

Mesoamerica’s Beginnings
A. Archaic and Initial Periods
1. Domestication
2. Initial Formative Soconusco
3. Initial/Early Formative Valley of Oaxaca

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B. Early/Middle Formative complexity and the “Olmec Problem”
1. Gulf Coast Olmecs
a. Early Formative San Lorenzo
b. Middle Formative La Venta
2. Middle Formative Ceremonial Complex
a. Chalcalzingo
b. Teopantecuhanitlan
c. Middle Formative standardized monumental plans
III. Early Mesoamerican States
A. Archaeological perspectives on state formation
1. Archaic states in neo-evolutionary perspectives
2. Myths of the archaic state and practice theory perspectives
3. Archaeological correlates (markers) of states
B. Monte Alban and the Zapotec State
1. Settlement hierarchies
2. Monumental architecture
3. Conquests and militarism iconography
C. Teotihuacan
1. Late Formative Central Mexico and the founding of Teotihuacan
2. Governance at Teotihuacan
3. Teotihuacan residential diversity
4. Teotihuacan across Mesoamerica
IV. Classic Period Cities and States: The Lowland Maya
A. Archaeology of urbanism
1. Defining “the city”
a. Demographic perspectives
b. Functional perspectives
2. Low-density agrarian urbanism
3. Dimensions of urbanism
a. Urban form
b. Urban life
c. Urban meaning
d. Urban function
B. Maya Lowlands
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1. Preclassic Period
2. Classic Maya elite culture and epigraphic history
3. Classic Maya socio-political organization
4. Classic Maya urbanism and landscapes
5. Classic Maya economy and warfare
6. Classic Maya Collapse
V.

Postclassic Period States and Empires: The Aztecs
A. Epiclassic Period in Central Mexico: After the Decline of Teotihuacan
1. Xochicalco
2. Cacaxla
3. Tula
B. Early Aztec history
1. Early Postclassic Nauhal migrations and the Aztecs as a macro-ethnic
group
2. Early Mexica histories
3. Mexica revolt against the Tepenecs and the Triple Alliance
C. The Aztec state and empire
1. Tenochtitlan
2. Mexica expansion and conquests
3. Aztec economy
4. Aztec creation myths and state ideology
5. The Spanish Conquest

11. & 12. TABLE: STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND STUDENT ASSESSMENT. Use the
Table below to document the outcomes and assessment for the course. If this is a
General Education course, be sure to complete the second column as well, it if is not a
General Education course, you can leave the 2nd column blank.
If General Education: Select the Curricular Theme and Program Goal you are applying from
the drop down below directly as done on the Course Form above (click on the words Choose
an item, then click on the arrow and select one option):

Choose an item.
Not a GE Course

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11. Course Specific Student
Learning Objectives (SLOs)

General Education Student
Learning Objectives (Complete
this column for GE courses
only)

SLO #1 (Diversity): Identify the
ways in which diverse
worldviews in Mesoamerica
operated and were experienced
at individual, cultural, and
regional levels and how they
interacted with human behavior,
biology, material culture, and
the environment in different
cultural regions of Mesoamerica.

12. Student Assessment
Include assessment(s) and whether they
are suggested or mandated (e.g., to
comply with accreditation or as a
minimum standard)

Reading/Writing/Discussion
Assignment
Students will read selections
of professional articles on
major debates in
Mesoamerican archaeology,
and write a summary for each
debate. Following this,
students will discuss the topic
and the debates in class.
Research Project
Students will conduct a
semester-long research
project on a case study and
theoretical topic in
Mesoamerican archaeology of
their choice. Steps include: (1)
Final paper outline; (2) Office
meeting to discuss Outline
and steps for Paper Draft; (3)
Paper Draft w/ bibliography,
students synthesize current
general consensuses on their
particular case study; (4)
Office meeting to discuss
Paper Draft and steps for Final
Paper; (5) Final paper,
students evaluate how their
selected case study informs
their theoretical topic.
Reading/Writing/Discussion
Assignment
Students will read selections
of professional articles on
major debates in

SLO #2 (Theory): Identify and
describe anthropological
theories and concepts relating to
human biocultural evolution in
Mesoamerica and the impact of
historical forces in shaping
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approaches to understanding
the human condition in
Mesoamerican archaeology.

Mesoamerican archaeology,
and write a summary for each
debate. Following this,
students will discuss the topic
and the debates in class.
Research Project
Students will conduct a
semester-long research
project on a case study and
theoretical topic in
Mesoamerican archaeology of
their choice. Steps include: (1)
Final paper outline; (2) Office
meeting to discuss Outline
and steps for Paper Draft; (3)
Paper Draft w/ bibliography,
students synthesize current
general consensuses on their
particular case study; (4)
Office meeting to discuss
Paper Draft and steps for Final
Paper; (5) Final paper,
students evaluate how their
selected case study informs
their theoretical topic.
Reading/Writing/Discussion
Assignment
Students will read selections
of professional articles on
major debates in
Mesoamerican archaeology,
and write a summary for each
debate. Following this,
students will discuss the topic
and the debates in class.

SLO #4 (Research – Scientific
Method): Critically evaluate
anthropological hypotheses in
Mesoamerican archaeology
using scientific data.

Research Project
Students will conduct a
semester-long research
project on a case study and
theoretical topic in
Mesoamerican archaeology of
their choice. Steps include: (1)
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Final paper outline; (2) Office
meeting to discuss Outline
and steps for Paper Draft; (3)
Paper Draft w/ bibliography,
students synthesize current
general consensuses on their
particular case study; (4)
Office meeting to discuss
Paper Draft and steps for Final
Paper; (5) Final paper,
students evaluate how their
selected case study informs
their theoretical topic.
Reading/Writing/Discussion
Assignment
Students will read selections
of professional articles on
major debates in
Mesoamerican archaeology,
and write a summary for each
debate. Following this,
students will discuss the topic
and the debates in class.

SLO #5 (Communication):
Convey anthropological ideas,
ethics, applications, and
research in Mesoamerican
archaeology through written,
visual and verbal analyses to
communicate effectively within
the discipline and to the public.

Research Project
Students will conduct a
semester-long research
project on a case study and
theoretical topic in
Mesoamerican archaeology of
their choice. Steps include: (1)
Final paper outline; (2) Office
meeting to discuss Outline
and steps for Paper Draft; (3)
Paper Draft w/ bibliography,
students synthesize current
general consensuses on their
particular case study; (4)
Office meeting to discuss
Paper Draft and steps for Final
Paper; (5) Final paper,
students evaluate how their
selected case study informs
their theoretical topic.
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*Note- Rows can be added

13. METHODS:
This course is offered as a lecture/discussion course, using other materials and techniques such
as films, videos, and Power Point slides, and artifact examples as appropriate. The course is
offered alternating fall semesters.
Distance Education Setting: This course may be taught online using synchronous or
asynchronous methods based on the instructor. Techniques may include using D2L (BOLT)
combined with Zoom (i.e., whiteboard, chat, polling, Kahoots, breakout rooms, You-tube
videos, etc.). Discussions and assignments will be posted via D2L. A computer (desktop, laptop,
tablet, etc.), personal smart phone, Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Access) and
reliable Internet are required. Written assignments will be collected via D2L. In-class discussion
will be over Zoom (synchronous) or via D2L chat (asynchronous).
14. COURSE ASSESSMENT:
The program curriculum committee will assess the objectives of course assessment and
recommend changes so that the course better reflects the goals of the program. Course
assessment will also be conducted in coordination with and/or upon the request of the Office
of Institutional Effectiveness and other relevant bodies. Samples of student papers will be
collected and compared to departmental developed rubrics.
15. SUPPORTING MATERIALS- SAMPLE TEXTS (Recommended):
Listed below are some of the materials which might be used in the course development but
course materials are not limited to the following references. The following list includes both
historical materials and more recent references (*holdings available in the Andruss Library).
*Arieta Baizabal, V. and A. Cyphers 2017. Densidad Poblacional en la Capital Olmeca de San
Lorenzo, Veracruz. Ancient Mesoamerica 28(1):61-73.
Arnold, P. J., III 2009. Settlement and Subsistence among the Early Formative Gulf Olmec.
Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 28:397-411.
Brumfiel, E. M. 2001. Aztec Hearts and Minds: Religion and the State in the Aztec Empire. In
Empires: Perspectives from Archaeology and History. Edited by S.E. Alcock, T.N. D’Altrpy, K.D.
Morrsion, & C.M. Sinopoli, pp. 83-310. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Canuto, M. A. et al. 2018. Airborne laser scanning of northern Guatemala: A Reckoning with
Ancient Lowland Maya Complexity. Science 361: eaau0137 DOI: 10.1126/science.aau0137
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Carballo, David M. 2020. Power, Politics and Governance at Teotihuacan. In Teotihuacan, The
World Beyond the City, edited by K. G. Hirth, D. M. Carballo, and B. Arroyo, pp. 57-96.
Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Washington, D.C.
*Chase, A. F., D. Z. Chase, and M. E. Smith 2009. States and Empires in Mesoamerica. Ancient
Mesoamerica 20:175-182.
Clark, J. E. and M. Blake 1994. The Power of Prestige: Competitive Generosity the Emergence of
Rank Societies in Lowland Mesoamerica. In Factional Competition and Political Development in
the New World, edited by E. Brumfiel and J. Fox, pp. 17-30. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge.
Ek, J. 2020. The Inertia of Old Ideas: A Historical Overview of Theoretical and Methodological
Challenges in the Study of Classic Maya Political Organization. Journal of Archaeological
Research 28:241-287.
Foias, A. E. and K. F. Emery 2012. Politics and Economics: Theoretical Perspectives of the Motul
de San José Project. In Motul de San José: Politics, History, and Economy in a Classic Maya
Polity, edited by Antonia E. Foias & Kitty E. Emery, pp. 1-29. University Press of Florida,
Gainesville.
Farahani, A. et al. 2017. Identifying “Plantscapes” at the Classuc Maya Village of Joya de Cerén,
El Salvador. Antiquity 91(358)980-997.
Feinman, G. M. and J. Marcus, editors 1998. Archaic States. School of American Research Press,
Santa Fe, NM.
*Flannery, K. V. and J. Marcus 2000. Formative Mexican Chiefdoms and the Myth of the
“Mother Culture.” Journal Anthropological Archaeology 19:1-37.
Houston, S. and T. Inomata 2009. The Classic Maya. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Inomata, T. et al. 2020. Monumental Architecture at Aguada Fénix and the Rise of Maya
Civilization. Nature 582:530-533.
Inomata, T. et al. 2021. Origins and Spread of Formal Ceremonial Complexes in the Olmec and
Maya Regions Revealed by Airborne Lidar. Nature Human Behavior 5:1487-1501.

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Lesure, R. G. 2004. Shared Art Styles and Long-Distance Contact in Early Mesoamerica. In
Mesoamerican Archaeology: Theory and Practice, edited by J. A. Hendon & R. A. Joyce, pp. 7396. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.
Love, M. 2022. Introduction: Early Mesoamerican Cities, Urbanism, and Urbanization in the
Formative Period. In Early Mesoamerican Cities, edited by M. Love and J. Guernsey, pp. 1-23.
University of Cambridge Press, New York.
Manzanilla, L. R. 2017. Teotihuacan Apartment Compounds, Neighborhood Centers, and Palace
Structures. In Teotihuacan: City of Water, City of Fire, edited by M. H. Robb, pp. 94-101.
University of California Press, Berkeley.
Nichols, Deborah 2016. Teotihuacan. Journal of Archaeological Research 24(1):1-74.
Marken, D. B. and M. C. Arnauld 2023. Building an Archaeology of Maya Urbanism. In Building
an Archaeology of Maya Urbanism: Flexibility and Planning in the American Tropics, edited by
D. B. Marken and M. C. Arnauld. University Press of Colorado, Boulder.
*Marken, Damien B. and James Fitzsimmons 2015. Introducing Classic Maya Polities: Models
and Definitions. In Classic Maya Polities of the Southern Lowlands, edited by Damien B. Marken
and James Fitzsimmons, pp. 3-37. University Press of Colorado, Boulder.
Nichols, Deborah 2016. Teotihuacan. Journal of Archaeological Research 24(1):1-74.
*Nichols, D. 2017. Farm to Market in the Aztec Imperial Economy. In Rethinking the Aztec
Economy, edited by D. L. Nichols, F. F. Berdan, & M E. Smith, pp. 19-41. University of Arizona
Press, Tucson.
Nichols, D. 2020. City, State, and Hinterlands. In Teotihuacan, The World Beyond the City, edited
by K. G. Hirth, D. M. Carballo, and B. Arroyo, pp. 227-275. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library
and Collection, Washington, D.C.
Pool, C. A. and M. L. Loughlin 2022. Early Urbanization in the Formative Gulf Lowlands, Mexico.
In Early Mesoamerican Cities, edited by M. Love and J. Guernsey, pp. 50-72. University of
Cambridge Press, New York.
*Robin, C. 2003. New Directions in Classic Maya Household Archaeology. Journal of
Archaeological Research 11(4):307-356.
*Sheets Payson, et al. 2015. The Sociopolitical Economy of an Ancient Maya Village: Cerén and
its Sacbe. Latin American Antiquity 26(3):341-361.
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*Sherman, R. J. et al. 2010. Expansionary Dynamics of the Nascent Monte Alban State. Journal
of Anthropological Archaeology 29:278-301.
Smith, M. E. 2008. Aztec City-State Capitals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
*Smith, M. E. 2017. The Teotihuacan Anomaly: The Historical Trajectory of Urban Design in
Ancient Central Mexico. Open Archaeology 3:175-193.
*Smith, M. E. and L. Montiel 2001. The Archaeological Study of Empires and Imperialism in PreHispanic Central Mexico. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 20:245-284.
*Somerville, A. D., N. Sugiyama, et al. 2016. Animal Management at the Ancient Metropolis of
Teotihuacan, Mexico: Stable Isotope Analysis of Leporid (Cottontail and Jackrabbit) Bone
Mineral. PLos ONE 11(8):e0159982.
*Spencer, C. S. and E. M. Redmond. 2004. Primary State Formation in Mesoamerica. Annual
Review of Anthropology 33:173-199.
Trigger, B. G. 2003. Understanding Early Civilizations. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Yoffee, N. editor. 2015. Cambridge World History, Volume III: Early Cities in Comparative
Perspective 4000 BCE-1200 CE. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Indicate possible recommended texts for the course where appropriate, including author/editor, title, publisher, edition, and
date of publication. The style of entry should consistently follow a manual such as Turabian, MLA, APA, or an accepted guide
in a specific discipline

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