The Maya
Course Code: RC238
Duration: 1 session
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What is the course about?
This course will introduce you to one of the great New World civilisations and their achievements – the Maya of Mesoamerica (southern Mexico and northern Central America) as revealed by archaeological and textual sources.
Tutor biography
Max Carocci has been working at the intersection between anthropology, art and museums since 2002. He conducted fieldwork among Native North Americans and continues to work with them on issues of art and museums. He has taught and programmed courses for a variety of Universities and colleges among which Birkbeck College (Art history, Museum cultures), UCL Department of Anthropology, Chelsea College’s MA Museum and Curating, the American University Richmond. He is currently lecturing on Art, Anthropology, Museums and Globalisation at Goldsmiths College (2018-ongoing) in the Department of Anthropology.
Max has nearly ten year experience as curator in the UK and abroad and served as consultant and researcher in museums in the UK, the Netherlands, USA, Switzerland, Germany, and France. Presently Max is working on two books on ethnographic representations and drawings with Native American art historian Stephanie Pratt (Dakota Nation).
What will we cover?
The Maya created one of the most sophisticated civilizations in the ancient world. Their achievements in the arts and sciences, along with their complex social, political and economic systems, make them one of the most remarkable culture groups in the precolumbian Americas. These people brought us an intricate calendar system, complex hieroglyphic writing, some of the largest pyramids in the world, a form of ballgame that is like no other and most importantly chocolate! This course will cover all these subjects.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- describe Maya connections with other Mesoamerican civilisations
- explain Maya social structure and political organisation
- calculate sums using the Maya number system.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
No previous experience with archaeology or anthropology is required, nor is there a course prerequisite. You will be encouraged to participate by asking questions, expressing your opinions and generally contributing your experience and knowledge. You will receive regular feedback throughout the course.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The format of the class will vary from week to week, but will include PowerPoint presentations, video clips, readings and follow-up discussions. Discussions will give us a chance to talk about the information and issues presented the readings and lectures in a less formal way.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Writing materials.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
The course is complementary to other courses in history and civilisations, for example: Aztecs,Inca,Ancient American Civilizations, the South, Ancient American Civilizations, the North. Please see our website or ask your tutor for more information.
In addition to teaching for City Lit, anthropologist Max Carocci is Associate Professor of Art History and Visual Culture at Richmond, the American University in London. After twelve years teaching and coordinating the join programme World Arts and Artefacts for Birkbeck and the British Museum, Max continued to teach in universities (University of East Anglia, Chelsea College of Art, and Goldsmiths College). Max is research active, and promotes anthropology through public talks, documentary making, consultancies, collaborations with learned institutions, museums and galleries, as well as the publishing world. He curated exhibitions for the British Museum, the Royal Anthropological Institute (London), the Weltkulturen Museum (Frankfurt), and the Venice Biennale, and currently continues his involvement with indigenous artists from the Americas on multiple projects. His forthcoming co-edited book Art, Observation, and an Anthropology of Illustration (Bloomsbury, 2022) will complement a co-authored book he is writing with Native American art historian Stephanie Pratt on mutual representations of Europeans and indigenous Americans in the visual arts.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
