Transfers ToUC and CSUCal-GETC Area 3B · IGETC Area 3B · CSU GE Area C2DescriptionVarious societies in Mesoamerica are known for their monumental architecture, ritualized sacrifice, astronomical calculations, complex calendars, writing systems, and vast trade networks. How did all of these cultural phenomenon develop over time? Why and when did the various societies collapse? What traditions remain intact? Which practices have been shared throughout the world? Students in this course will study the cultural evolution of this region beginning with the peopling of the land, to the emergence of village life and domestication of foods. We study the formation of dense urban societies that became centers of religious, economic and military powers, including those that were eventually encountered by Spanish invaders and reshaped to become the contemporary societies known today. 