Constellations: HAA 2106 Pre-Colombian Art

Ruth Fauman-Fichman

This course will examine the art and architecture of complex New World civilizations in Mesoamerica (northern Mexico to Honduras) and Andean South America before European conquest. Our main goal will be to understand the relationship of the art to the ideology, cosmology, worldview and culture(s) of its creators. Themes to be explored include the relationship of the art to religion, the organization of power and the interaction between groups. Mesoamerican cultures to be studied include the Olmec, Maya, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, and Aztec. The ancient cultures of Andean South America -- Chavín, Paracas, Nazca, Moche, Wari, Tiwanaku, Chimú and Inca -- will also be examined.