ANTH 42100 - Moche Archaeology Seminar

The Moche were an archaeological culture from the desert coast of Peru that provide an opportunity to explore anthropological theories regarding nascent state formation, priestly elites, feasting and ritual, human sacrifice, conflict and warfare, environmental degradation, and societal collapse. We will explore these topics using a comparative, four-field anthropological approach.

Preparation for Course
P: ANTH 20003 (or equivalent).

Cr. 3.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Develop critical thinking skills.
2. Develop ability to communicate ideas in spoken and written forms.
3. Develop an understanding of current concepts and debates regarding the prehistoric Moche, an archaeological culture from the north coast of Peru.
4. Develop an awareness of classical anthropological topics including the emergence of social classes, ethnogenesis, the emergence of states, theories of state-level conflict and warfare, and environmental degradation and societal collapse.