Archaeology

 Choose any two (2) of the following questions and answer them in as much detail as you feel appropriate. Answers should be between 500-2,000 words (1-4 pages) per question, exclusive of references. You can use any source material you wish, including lecture notes and your textbook, and outside references (which are not required). Any outside references should be cited in American Antiquity or APA style. 1. In recent years, Maya specialists have focused more and more research on the Terminal Classic. What is the Terminal Classic? How is it distinct from the Late Classic and the Postclassic? Do you feel that this distinction is meaningful, or simply the creation of archaeologists? Why? 2. The Yucatan has long been viewed as a “backwater” among Mayanists. Why? How is research in the Yucatan changing our understanding of the Maya, from the Preclassic to the Postclassic? 3. Was there a Classic Maya collapse? What are some key viewpoints on the issue of cultural collapse? Do the Classic Maya meet these criteria? Why do some Mayanists now argue that the collapse never happened? 4.The Postclassic Maya are now argued to have become a part of the broader Mesoamerican world system. What is a world system? What kinds of features would we expect to find with such a system in Mesoamerica? Do you think that the evidence available is sufficient to indicate a pan-Mesoamerican world system? Why? 5. Is it realistic to view any phase of ancient Maya culture in relative isolation? We know that there was long-distance trade between the Maya region and other, distant parts of Mesoamerica by at least the Late Preclassic, and the Middle Preclassic in some areas. If the world system is any kind of appropriate model for Mesoamerica during the Postclassic, do you think a similar model might apply earlier? Why or why not?