Course Description:
The lands that today make up the Americas were once filled with thousands of diverse cultures, languages, and peoples. Today, we can know about these cultures and peoples of the past through archaeology, history, and the study of their descendants today. What were the great civilizations (and small civilizations) of the Americas like, and what led to their decline? From the first arrival of indigenous peoples in the Americas, to the European invasions of these lands, this course will explore the many facets of Native American societies in North and South America, with focus on archaeological evidence, culture, adaptive strategies, and the effects of European contact.