MCCCD Program Description

Buried Cities and Lost Tribes: New World

Course: ASB223

First Term: 2014 Summer

Lecture 3 Credit(s) 3 Period(s) 3 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S - Standard Load

Description: Introduction to archaeology through discoveries and the researchers who made them. Emphasis on methods of archaeological fieldwork and what these discoveries reveal about humanity, including the nature of archaeological inquiry, the development of human social groups, the changing role of religion in evolving societies, the origins of agriculture, the origins of settled lifeways, the rise of cities and complex societies, political strife across different cultures and the forces which fragment societies. Examples drawn from North America, Central America, and South America.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Describe the methods and tools archaeologists use to interpret the past. (I, II, III) 2. Describe the logical procedures by which anthropologists distinguish between scientific and pseudo-scientific evidence. (I) 3. Document the evidence of first occupation in the Americas. (II) 4. Describe the social structure, cultural traditions, religious ideology and subsistence patterns of examples from North, Central, and South America. (III, IV, V) 5. Explain the rise of complex social organizations in different social/geographic contexts. (III, IV, V) 6. Compare and contrast religious perspectives and world views throughout the Americas. (III, IV, V) 7. Document the effects of contact between Europeans and indigenous peoples of the Americas. (VI)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Archaeology discovered A. The nature of the archaeological record 1. Preservation of archaeological materials 2. Stratigraphy and dating methods in archaeology B. Archaeological methods 1. The field survey and excavation 2. Provenience and context 3. Examples of archaeological research C. Speculation and pseudo-science II. New adaptations: The road to the present A. Peopling of the New World B. The process of settling down: Human ability to manipulate the environment C. Origins of agriculture in the New World D. A look at an ethnographic example of a farming tribe III. Tribes and chiefdoms of North America A. Emerging complexity in North America B. Bands, tribes, and chiefdoms of North America IV. Forging of a Mesoamerican way of life A. Growing populations and the origins of cities B. Integration of people 1. The development of shaman kings 2. The role of religion in emerging Mesoamerican Civilization C. Mesoamerican War D. Empire building V. Rise of complex societies in South America A. Coastal adaptations and the rise of states B. Tribal societies of the Amazon C. The role of religion in Andean societies D. The Incan Empire VI. Effects of contact between indigenous peoples and Europeans

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: April 22, 2014

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.