James Fitzsimmons

I adored this class. Professor Fitzsimmons's lectures are very engaging, and he structures them very clearly with handouts and slides. Readings are assigned weekly, and classes usually expand into more detail and never feel repetitive. We had craft opportunities to engage directly with ancient writing and activities to practice reading Mayan script. There was one paper early on in the semester, 3 short quizzes, and a self-scheduled final. The class material itself is really interesting, both the general history of early writing systems and Mayan glyphs which Fitzsimmons specializes in. I had little prior knowledge about Mayan writing, but it was genuinely very fun learning about them. Highly recommend this course for anyone interested in early writing.

I adored this class. Professor Fitzsimmons's lectures are very engaging, and he structures them very clearly with handouts and slides. Readings are assigned weekly, and classes usually expand into more detail and never feel repetitive. We had craft opportunities to engage directly with ancient writing and activities to practice readi …Read more

Prof. Fitzsimmons is awesome! The class is overall chill. Three 3 page papers, a mid-term, and an exam. The exams are a bit stressful, but he grades easy on essays. He is very passionate about the course material and we get to use atlatls.

Absolutely love Fitzsimmons. I've taken his classes before and he's always his passionate, knowledgeable self. This course was really interesting, starting with general origins of writing and then going into Maya-specific topics. His knowledge base is astounding and you get to learn how to read some Mayan in the course, culminating in some fun arts-and-crafts days. There are a couple readings per week, one paper, a few quizzes on Mayan glyphs/calendrics, and a final, but it is all very manageable. His lectures are quick, but fun and interesting if you pay attention. Definitely recommend this course!

Absolutely love Fitzsimmons. I've taken his classes before and he's always his passionate, knowledgeable self. This course was really interesting, starting with general origins of writing and then going into Maya-specific topics. His knowledge base is astounding and you get to learn how to read some Mayan in the course, culminating i …Read more