Unit 11
Realms

In Unit 10, we dealt with the evolution of political systems, and ways of determining the process of evolution in the archaeological record. In this unit, we will describe the archaeological reconstruction of the structure of political systems at a given point in time, and the interaction among different types of political systems.

Objectives

After completing this unit, you should be able to

1. describe the five components of political structure.
2. describe the three concerns of analysis of political interaction.
3. explain the relationship between settlement system analysis and central places.
4. explain how the territorial limits of past societies are determined.
5. describe the contributions of art to the reconstruction of political organization.
6. describe the archaeological context for warfare.
7. describe and discuss the basic lines of evidence used to determine the internal structure of political systems and how political systems interact.
8. describe the natural and cultural factors that help to define the limits of Copán’s territory.
9. describe what inscriptions reveal about Copán’s external relations.
10. describe the main features of the Inca political system.

After completing the viewing assignment for this unit, you should be able to

1. compare the realms of the Aztec and Maya.
2. describe what stelae and altars indicate about the Maya political system.
3. describe the nature of Maya warfare.
4. describe the political function of the Mesoamerican ball game.
5. describe the fate of Dos Pilas.
6. identify the mechanisms used by the Aztecs to control their empire.
7. define chinampas, and describe how they helped sustain the Aztec empire.