060064 VU Maya Archaeology: Current Directions in Method and Theory (2021W)

The course is planned as an attendance course. In the event of Covid19-based distance regulations that would restrict the capacity of the booked room below the number of inscribed students, the course will be offered as a hybrid or purely digital course. In case of another lockdown, the course will be switched to purely digital teaching.SummaryThe course introduces students to Maya archaeology and presents case studies of methodological and theoretical approaches. Each week revolves around a specific topic (e.g., land and water management, settlement patterns, social organization and kinship, politics, ritual and mortuary behavior, gender division of labor, craft production, markets and trade, comparative approaches and analogies, etc.) through which important aspects of past and current research are addressed. Students will gain an understanding not only of the major developments in Maya archaeology, but also of the difficulty of reconciling theoretical issues with the results of archaeological fieldwork and material analyses. The course will be entirely in English.Aims• To introduce principal methods and theories in Maya archaeology. • To encourage thinking about research design.• To increase skills in critical thinking, reading, developing arguments, and communicating through writing and speaking. • Students should be able to locate and utilize resources about archaeological sites in the Maya area.MethodsLecture, readings, group discussions, written summaries, written paper