The class will meet one evening per week for c. 3 hours. The format will be a combination of slide-illustrated lectures and in-class discussions of the week's major topic(s). The weekly topics will include the evidence for early hunters-gatherers, the Archaic period and the beginnings of agriculture, settled villages and the rise of social complexity, and the development of urban civilization (see tentative schedule below). And, because the current state of knowledge of Mexican prehistory is based upon archaeology, and upon the interpretations made of the artifacts and patterns uncovered by archaeological field work, the in-class discussions will often include a consideration and evaluation of the archaeological evidence underlying the current interpretations (including those of the text book). Also, because archaeology is more than just pot sherds and stone tools, the in-class discussions will consider what the archaeological data can tell us about the societies and people who inhabited various regions of Mexico prior to 800 A.D.

This course is intended for advanced undergraduates and graduate archaeology students. Because class discussions, as mentioned, will often include thinking about and commenting upon archaeological data, all students should have had a previous archaeology course and understand the basic principles of archaeology. ALL undergraduates should also have already taken ANT 3163 (Aztec and Maya Civilizations). If you haven't, please talk to Prof. Grove.

ATTENDANCE: Prof. Grove expects regular attendance from everyone enrolled in this course, and if you do not plan to attend regularly, do not take this course! Because we meet only once a week and because of the importance given in this course to up-to-date materials discussed in the lectures, if you ever have to miss a class, find someone in the class who will take notes for you (don't ask the Prof for them).

TEXT BOOK AND READINGS:  The textbook for the course is Mexico: From Olmec to Aztec (2002 Fifth Edition), by Michael D. Coe and Rex Koontz. This text provides a good concise coverage of the topic. Although it is a 248 page book, we will only be using the first 148 pages. (nevertheless, the remainder, on the Toltecs and Aztecs is quite interesting).

There will also be one or two required supplementary readings assigned each week. These will be available on the web at: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/dcgrove/mexarchreadings

Important note: Prof. Grove considers the lectures, discussions, and supplementary readings to be the primary data sources for this course. He considers the textbook to useful as a basic guide to the major time periods and events in Mexican prehistory before 800 A.D.

TERM PAPER/ASSIGNMENTS: During the span of the semester there will be 5 or 6 short (and hopefully interesting) take home assignments. The assignments will constitute 15% of a student's grade.

EXAMS: There will be a midterm and a final exam. Both the midterm and final will have a partial take-home component to ease the burden on you.

The midterm will be the first hour of the class meeting period on Feb. 24th.

The final exam is scheduled (28A) for April 28 from 7:30-9:30 a.m.

GRADING: 85% of your course grade will be based upon the midterm (30%) and final (55%) exams. The remaining 15% will be derived from a series of small class projects/take-home assignments (rather than a term paper). The nature of those assignments will be explained in class.

Grades of A are earned by students who make a serious effort on their assignments and in the class in general (e.g., discussions), and who demonstrate by their work and exams that they have an excellent understanding of the materials covered in lectures and readings.

The following information is included in conformance with University Policy: 1) Students seeking modification of due dates for assignments and exams for religious reasons (e.g., holiday observance) should feel free to contact the Professor and request this modification. 2) Students seeking any classroom accommodation to facilitate their education must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student, who must then provide this documentation to the Professor when requesting accommodation. 3) The University reminds every student of the implied pledge of Academic Honesty: on any work submitted for credit the student has neither received nor given unauthorized aid. This refers to cheating and plagiarism. Students should consult the Student Guide at www.dso.ufl.edu/stg/ for information.