Pre-Hispanic cultures of South America in the light of archaeological research 3700-CS-PHKAP-22-OG

The lectures will discuss problems of development of early cultures and civilizations in South America. The aim will be to trace the complex process in which pre-Columbian cultures emerged and developed as well as presenting the unique methods involved in such studies, in particular the application of scientific work methods, interpretation and analysis of available data. Since the main sources of knowledge about pre-Hispanic cultures are relics of material culture, the key focus will be on the Central Andes (also known as the Andean or Peruvian region), for which we have the greatest and most diverse corpus of archaeological sources. Unique environmental conditions have helped preserve numerous relics of culture, thanks to which this is one of the best-studied areas of South America in terms of culture.
The lectures will provide an outline of the chronology of the region’s prehistory, from the earliest traces of human presence on the continent, to the development of complex local native communities and the conquest of a large part of the Pacific coast and the Andes by the Inca Empire.
The planned lecture series will cover aspects such as belief systems, ceremonies, myths, calendar systems as well as models of government and social structure organization. The topics presented will also include diverse problems related to art, iconography, religious and lay architecture, funeral practices, pottery, weaving, and other material evidence of human presence in pre-Columbian times. Students will also learn about the latest archaeological discoveries in confrontation with widely accepted theories on the development of pre-Columbian cultures, and about new research directions in an interdisciplinary context.
The lectures also aim to improve students’ skills in reading early colonial records and documents used in studies reconstructing pre-Hispanic traditions.

Type of course

general courses

Prerequisites (description)

Lectures addressed in particular to students whose interests include intercultural, anthropological, historical, and American studies.

Course coordinators

Patrycja Prządka-Giersz

Learning outcomes

- participants will acquire extensive knowledge on the prehistory of South America, learning about the major pre-Hispanic cultures and civilizations;
- they will learn about studies aiming to reconstruct pre-Hispanic traditions based on relics of material culture, and will be shown different methodological approaches;
- they will receive essential guidelines for increasing and acquiring such knowledge, especially as regards reading early colonial ethno-historical sources;
- they will learn about the teacher’s experience with criticism and analysis of archaeological sources and with common opinions and theories, facilitating the students’ further independent work with sources and the development of their own interpretations and critical independent thinking skills.

Assessment criteria

Absorbing the knowledge presented during the lectures, including understanding the process of development of pre-Hispanic cultures, associating facts and key issues for the subject of the course, reading the set literature; the exam will be an oral one, held after the course’s second semester. Two unexcused absences per semester are allowed.

Bibliography

Lektury uzupełniające:
• W.H. Isbell, To Defend Ourselves, Ecology & Ritual in an Andean Village, 2005, http://hdl.handle.net/1813/2135.
• M. Giersz, P. Prządka, Perú Prehispánico. Desde el poblamiento hasta los Incas, Ediciones Hipocampo, Lima 2014.
• W.H. Isbell, Mummies and Mortuary Monuments A Postprocessual Prehistory of Central Andean Social Organization, red., University of Texas Press 1997.
• R.W. Keatinge [red.], Peruvian Prehistory, Cambridge University Press, New York 1999.
• A. Kolata, The social production of Tiwanaku: Political economy and authority in a native Andean state, [w:] Tiwanaku and its Hinterland: Archaeological and Paleoecological Investigations of an Andean Civilization, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington 2003, s. 226-263.
• E.P. Lanning, T.C. Patterson, Early man in South America, “Scientific American”, s. 44-50.
• K. Makowski, A. Rosenzweig, M.J.Jimenez Díaz, Weaving for the Afterlife, Peruvian Textiles from the Maiman Collection, Jerozolima 2006.
• P. Prządka, M. Giersz, K. Makowski, El mundo sobrenatural mochica. Imágenes escultóricas de las deidades antropomorfas de Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera Lima. Fondo Editorial de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima 2005.
• H.J.Prem, The Ancient Americas, A Brief History and Guide to Research, University of Utah Press, Munich 1997.
• J. Quilter, L.J. Castillo [red.], New perspectives on Moche political organization, Washington 1010.
• C. Renfrew, P. Bahn, Archeologia. Teorie i metody. Prószyński i S-ka Warszawa 2002.
• M. Rostworowska, Historia Państwa Inków, PIW, Warszawa 2006.
• H. Silverman, W.H. Isbell [red.], Handbook of South American Archaeology, Springer 2008.
• J. Szemiński, M. Ziółkowski, Mity rytuały i polityka Inków, PIW Warszawa 2006.
• J.R. Topic, La Arqueologia y la Etnohistoria, IEP, IAR, Lima 2009.

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

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Description of 3700-CS-PHKAP-22-OG in USOSweb