Chapter 13 - Highland Mesoamerica

- Oaxaca Valley, Mexico (2000 - 500 BC)

- small (pop. 50 to 500) in valleys near abundant water
- as wet valleys got crowded, people settled drier slopes
- success and growth in Oaxaca related to trade of obsidian, magnetite, feathers, ceramics w/lowlands
- Olmec (lowland) pottery and ritual objects appear in Oaxaca 1150 - 650 BC
- San Jose Magote = largest settlement in Oaxaca by 1300 BC

- pop. 600, public and ceremonial buildings, permanent (plaster/clay) architecture

- by 400 BC, at least 7 small chiefdoms in Oaxaca Valley
- sociopolitical organization in highlands:

- large central cities (like Monte Alban) surrounded by, and supported by, smaller villages
- highland elite individuals ruled people, construction, food surplus,
- serious social inequalities, elaborate religion/spirituality
- technology: calendar, writing, agriculture, trade
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ANTH 151 section 008: Emerging Humanity
Fall Semester 2007 - Weekly Assignment Example

Here is an example of notes for the first couple of pages for Chapter 13 of your text (NOTE: This would not be a sufficient outline for all of Chapter 13!!! This is just an example for the first two pages of the chapter). This should give you some idea of how to go about the weekly assignments if you're having trouble getting started. I'm not particularly worried about the formatting. This style is a format that has worked well for me. You will have to find your own style. I'm more concerned with you isolating the key information and making the notes brief but understandable.