The Art of the Maya Scribe
The Artistry of the Maya Scribe The Maya produced what was arguably the most beautiful script of the ancient Americas—a true combination of art and writing. This course explores Maya history and the fundamentals of their writing system, but with a twist: instead of just focusing on reading comprehension, we explore how scribes learned to write. Using ancient painting techniques and natural pigments, students will discover how to combine words and images in playful ways and, in so doing, understand why this system evolved as it did. They will explore the stylistic choices made in the first millennium CE—and perhaps make those same choices again. This course is part of the Public Humanities Labs Initiative administered by the Axinn Center for the Humanities.
The Artistry of the Maya Scribe The Maya produced what was arguably the most beautiful script of the ancient Americas—a true combination of art and writing. This course explores Maya history and the fundamentals of their writing system, but with a twist: instead of just focusing on reading comprehension, we explore how scribes learned to write. Using ancient painting techniques and natural pigments, students will discover how to combine words and images in playful ways and, in so doing, understand why this system evolved as it did. They will explore the stylistic choices made in the first m …Read more
I was not expecting to enjoy this class as much as I did. Professor Fitzsimmons if funny, personable, and makes his lectures engaging. There is a lot of group work and low pressure in-class activities around learning to read Maya hieroglyphs. There are three papers which are graded fairly. Professor Fitzsimmons answers questions about the papers in class before they are due and is happy to work with students outside of class. Even though I don't have a particular interest in the subject I loved taking this class and would highly recommend as a great FYSE!
I was not expecting to enjoy this class as much as I did. Professor Fitzsimmons if funny, personable, and makes his lectures engaging. There is a lot of group work and low pressure in-class activities around learning to read Maya hieroglyphs. There are three papers which are graded fairly. Professor Fitzsimmons answers questions abou …Read more
This class was amazing. It was probably my last choice when I signed up for first year seminars, but now I wouldn't have had it any other way. There are three papers, but it is a class meant to introduce you to college writing. They are graded fairly and informatively. The rest of the class was extremely captivating, from learning about the way the Maya lived to the basics of Mayan hieroglyphs to the final project where we had to create a piece of Maya art, spending a lot of class painting. I loved professor Fitzsimmons, he was so excited about the class, and it was contagious. He inspired me to take one of his other classes, and now I want to minor in Anthro. This class was an amazing opportunity to learn from one of the experts of the field in a small discussion setting.
This class was amazing. It was probably my last choice when I signed up for first year seminars, but now I wouldn't have had it any other way. There are three papers, but it is a class meant to introduce you to college writing. They are graded fairly and informatively. The rest of the class was extremely captivating, from learning ab …Read more
I did not choose this course for my FYS, but ended up really loving it. The professor is awesome, and the class is very fun. The work is never too much but it never feels boring either. I would recommend this class even if you aren't that interested in the subject.