Unit 13
The Rise of Civilization in the New World

So far in this course, we have explored how the universal processes of cultural evolution have expressed themselves in different geographic and historical settings. In this unit, we examine Mesoamerican and South American civilizations, focusing not only on understanding how archaeological research has contributed to the reconstruction of these distinctive cultures, but also on understanding how they are similar, how they are different, and why these similarities and differences exist.

Objectives

After completing this unit, you should be able to

1. explain why ancient societies in the Americas are called “low-energy” societies.
2. describe the boundaries and environmental setting of Mesoamerica.
3. describe the origins of agriculture in Mesoamerica.
4. describe the main characteristics of the Preclassic and Classic periods in Mesoamerica.
5. describe the sequence of settlement, urbanization, and agricultural intensification in the Teotihuacán Valley.
6. describe the information derived from architecture about Teotihuacán society.
7. describe how Teotihuacán fits the criteria for an urban centre.
8. compare Preclassic political evolution in the Maya lowlands to that in the Basin of Mexico.
9. describe the Great Tradition elements that define the Classic Maya.
10. compare the process of settlement, urbanization, and agricultural intensification in the Teotihuacán Valley and that among the lowland Maya.
11. explain why archaeologists disagree about the degree of stratification within Maya society.
12. describe what Great Traditions reveal about the elite and the commoners in civilizations in the Americas.
13. describe how the first settled communities of Peru differ from those in other areas.
14. describe the main characteristics of the six chronological periods of Andean civilization.
15. compare the process of political stratification in the Teotihuacán Valley and that among the lowland Maya.