Pre-Columbian Civilizations
A.Y. 2019/2020
Learning objectives
The course aims to offer students a broad and articulated overview of the cultures that have developed in Mesoamerica, presenting both the traits that unite them and those that differentiate them, highlighting the exception that, in part, is represented by the Mayan culture of the Classic Period.
In this itinerary an important space is reserved for monuments, works of art, calendrical systems and codices that are the expression of these cultures.
Subsequently, the culture and history of the Aztec Empire are focused on from indigenous documents. Particular attention is paid to the sources on the Conquest of Mexico, to the evaluation of their reliability and to the need to propose interpretative models that have nothing to do with the reconstructions of the histoire bataille of the past, which, although fascinating, sometimes have nothing to do with scientific research.
In this itinerary an important space is reserved for monuments, works of art, calendrical systems and codices that are the expression of these cultures.
Subsequently, the culture and history of the Aztec Empire are focused on from indigenous documents. Particular attention is paid to the sources on the Conquest of Mexico, to the evaluation of their reliability and to the need to propose interpretative models that have nothing to do with the reconstructions of the histoire bataille of the past, which, although fascinating, sometimes have nothing to do with scientific research.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge:
The course aims to provide an overview of the cultures of Mesoamerica, the problems and sources of the Conquest of Mexico.
In particular, students learn to analyze indigenous sources, which cannot be taken literally not only in the steps in which they tell the miracles of the gods, but also in those in which, apparently, they refer to the histoire événementielle.
At the same time, the students realize that even the sources of the conquistadores must be used with great caution, because they are the result of stories aimed at disguising the illegitimacy of the Conquest under the same Spanish laws.
Skills:
The course gives students the ability to critically analyse sources starting from the analysis of the text and the evaluation of the elements of the context that condition the authors.
Based on this ability, students develop the ability to assess the reliability of past and recent reconstructions of the Conquest of Mexico.
The course aims to provide an overview of the cultures of Mesoamerica, the problems and sources of the Conquest of Mexico.
In particular, students learn to analyze indigenous sources, which cannot be taken literally not only in the steps in which they tell the miracles of the gods, but also in those in which, apparently, they refer to the histoire événementielle.
At the same time, the students realize that even the sources of the conquistadores must be used with great caution, because they are the result of stories aimed at disguising the illegitimacy of the Conquest under the same Spanish laws.
Skills:
The course gives students the ability to critically analyse sources starting from the analysis of the text and the evaluation of the elements of the context that condition the authors.
Based on this ability, students develop the ability to assess the reliability of past and recent reconstructions of the Conquest of Mexico.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The course is entitled: La Conquista del Messico: i modelli interpretativi and consists of the following three teaching units, which will be addressed in sequence:
A: Indigenous Sources
B: Spanish sources
C: Interpretative models
Students who wish to acquire 6 CFU will follow the program of units A and B; all students who wish to acquire 9 CFU will follow the full program (units A, B and C).
In Unit A will be studied the most important indigenous sources on the vision of the Conquest of the populations of "Aztec" culture.
In Unit B will be studied the texts of two essential eyewitnesses: Cortés and Díaz and of a careful and precise chronicler: Fernández de Oviedo.
In Unit C will be studied the texts of authors who have understood the limits of traditional historiography.
The course program is valid until December 2021.
A: Indigenous Sources
B: Spanish sources
C: Interpretative models
Students who wish to acquire 6 CFU will follow the program of units A and B; all students who wish to acquire 9 CFU will follow the full program (units A, B and C).
In Unit A will be studied the most important indigenous sources on the vision of the Conquest of the populations of "Aztec" culture.
In Unit B will be studied the texts of two essential eyewitnesses: Cortés and Díaz and of a careful and precise chronicler: Fernández de Oviedo.
In Unit C will be studied the texts of authors who have understood the limits of traditional historiography.
The course program is valid until December 2021.
Prerequisites for admission
The course is held entirely in Italian, but the exam bibliography presupposes good language skills in Spanish, English and French.
Students who do not know Spanish or English will not be able to rely on translations into Italian; therefore, if interested in the course, they should contact the teacher in advance to assess any adjustments to the program.
Students who do not know French will be able to rely on alternative texts in Spanish and English.
Erasmus or other forms of mobility students are admitted, provided they have solid Spanish language skills.
Students who do not know Spanish or English will not be able to rely on translations into Italian; therefore, if interested in the course, they should contact the teacher in advance to assess any adjustments to the program.
Students who do not know French will be able to rely on alternative texts in Spanish and English.
Erasmus or other forms of mobility students are admitted, provided they have solid Spanish language skills.
Teaching methods
The course adopts the following teaching methods: frontal lessons; frontal lessons with images of an ad hoc PDF created by the professor, reading and commenting of some of the passages of the texts to be studied.
Teaching Resources
The course has a DropBox site
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1zbtsl21012frwv
/AADlMAorIky5nxGQ3xr8c5nca?dl=0,
which allows you to download the program and many of the texts to be studied for the exam.
Below are the compulsory reading texts for the various teaching units.
Attending students
Teaching Unit A
Antonio Aimi, Gli Aztechi, RCS, Milano, 2019
Bernardino de Sahagún, Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España, only book XII - Any edition
Diego Durán, Historia de las Indias de Nueva España e Islas de la Tierra Firme, II, only chapters: 63-77 - Any edition
Miguel León Portilla, Visión de los Vencidos - Any edition
Teaching Unit B
Hernán Cortés, Cartas de Relación, only Letters 1-3 - Any edition
Bernal Díaz del Castillo, Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España, only chapters. 22 - 157 - Any edition
Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo, Historia general y natural de las Indias, IV, book XXXIII, only chapters. 1 - 31 - Any edition
Teaching Unit C
Antonio Aimi, La "vera" visione dei vinti: la conquista del Messico nelle fonti azteche. CNR - Bulzoni, Roma, 2002
Miguel Pastrana Flores, Historias de la Conquista, UNAM, México, 2009, pp. 15-117, 211 - 243 and 271 - 275
Susan Gillespie, The Aztec Kings, The University of Arizona Press, Tucson e Londra, 1989, pp. 3 - 95 and 123 -230
Michel Graulich, Montezuma, only chapters: 10 -15 and Epilogue - Any edition
Students who do not know French instead of the above mentioned chapters of Graulich's book must study the following texts:
Juan José Batalla Rosado, Prisión y muerte de Motecuhzoma, según el relato de los códices mesoamericanos, Revista Española de Antropología Americana, 26, 1996, pp. 101-120.
John Elliott, The Mental World of Hernán Cortés, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 17, 1967, pp. 41-58.;
Patrick Johansson, Presagios del fin de un mundo en textos proféticos nahuas, ECN, 45, 2013, pp. 70 - 145
Diana Magaloni Kerpel, Imágenes de la conquista de México en los códices del siglo XVI. Una lectura de su contenido simbólico, AIIE, 82, pp. 5 - 45
Guilhem Olivier, Indios y Españoles frente a prácticas adivinatorias y presagios durante la conquista de México, ECN, 37, 2006, pp. 170 - 191
Eric Taladoire, La guerra de dos mundos, ECN, 42, 2011, pp. 63 - 75
No attending students
Teaching Unit A
Antonio Aimi, Gli Aztechi, RCS, Milano, 2019
Bernardino de Sahagún, Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España, only only chapters:1-15 of book VI and the whole book XII - Any edition
Diego Durán, Historia de las Indias de Nueva España e Islas de la Tierra Firme, II, only chapters: 60-77 - Any edition
Miguel León Portilla, Visión de los Vencidos - Any edition
Teaching Unit B
Hernán Cortés, Cartas de Relación, only Letters 1-3 - Any edition
Bernal Díaz del Castillo, Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España, only chapters. 17 - 157 - Any edition
Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo, Historia general y natural de las Indias, IV, book XXXIII, only chapters. 1 - 31 - Any edition
Teaching Unit C
Antonio Aimi, La "vera" visione dei vinti: la conquista del Messico nelle fonti azteche. CNR - Bulzoni, Roma, 2002
Miguel Pastrana Flores, Historias de la Conquista, UNAM, México, 2009, pp. 15 - 275
Susan Gillespie, The Aztec Kings, The University of Arizona Press, Tucson e Londra, 1989
Michel Graulich, Montezuma, only chapters: 7 -15 and Epilogue - Any edition
Students who do not know French instead of the above mentioned chapters of Graulich's book must study the following texts:
Juan José Batalla Rosado, Prisión y muerte de Motecuhzoma, según el relato de los códices mesoamericanos, Revista Española de Antropología Americana, 26, 1996, pp. 101-120.
John Elliott, The Mental World of Hernán Cortés, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 17, 1967, pp. 41-58.;
Susan Gillespie, Blaming Moteuczoma [sic]: The Anthropomorphization of the Aztec Conquest, in: Invasion and Transformation: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Conquest of Mexico, a cura di R. Brienen e M.. Jackson, University Press of Colorado, Niwot, 2008, pp. 25 - 55;
Patrick Johansson, Presagios del fin de un mundo en textos proféticos nahuas, ECN, 45, 2013, pp. 70 - 145
Diana Magaloni Kerpel, Imágenes de la conquista de México en los códices del siglo XVI. Una lectura de su contenido simbólico, AIIE, 82, pp. 5 - 45
Guilhem Olivier, Indios y Españoles frente a prácticas adivinatorias y presagios durante la conquista de México, ECN, 37, 2006, pp. 170 - 191;
Matthiew Restall, Los siete mitos de la conquista española, Paidos, México et al., 2004, pp. 17 - 79;
Eric Taladoire, La guerra de dos mundos, ECN, 42, 2011, pp. 63 - 75
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1zbtsl21012frwv
/AADlMAorIky5nxGQ3xr8c5nca?dl=0,
which allows you to download the program and many of the texts to be studied for the exam.
Below are the compulsory reading texts for the various teaching units.
Attending students
Teaching Unit A
Antonio Aimi, Gli Aztechi, RCS, Milano, 2019
Bernardino de Sahagún, Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España, only book XII - Any edition
Diego Durán, Historia de las Indias de Nueva España e Islas de la Tierra Firme, II, only chapters: 63-77 - Any edition
Miguel León Portilla, Visión de los Vencidos - Any edition
Teaching Unit B
Hernán Cortés, Cartas de Relación, only Letters 1-3 - Any edition
Bernal Díaz del Castillo, Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España, only chapters. 22 - 157 - Any edition
Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo, Historia general y natural de las Indias, IV, book XXXIII, only chapters. 1 - 31 - Any edition
Teaching Unit C
Antonio Aimi, La "vera" visione dei vinti: la conquista del Messico nelle fonti azteche. CNR - Bulzoni, Roma, 2002
Miguel Pastrana Flores, Historias de la Conquista, UNAM, México, 2009, pp. 15-117, 211 - 243 and 271 - 275
Susan Gillespie, The Aztec Kings, The University of Arizona Press, Tucson e Londra, 1989, pp. 3 - 95 and 123 -230
Michel Graulich, Montezuma, only chapters: 10 -15 and Epilogue - Any edition
Students who do not know French instead of the above mentioned chapters of Graulich's book must study the following texts:
Juan José Batalla Rosado, Prisión y muerte de Motecuhzoma, según el relato de los códices mesoamericanos, Revista Española de Antropología Americana, 26, 1996, pp. 101-120.
John Elliott, The Mental World of Hernán Cortés, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 17, 1967, pp. 41-58.;
Patrick Johansson, Presagios del fin de un mundo en textos proféticos nahuas, ECN, 45, 2013, pp. 70 - 145
Diana Magaloni Kerpel, Imágenes de la conquista de México en los códices del siglo XVI. Una lectura de su contenido simbólico, AIIE, 82, pp. 5 - 45
Guilhem Olivier, Indios y Españoles frente a prácticas adivinatorias y presagios durante la conquista de México, ECN, 37, 2006, pp. 170 - 191
Eric Taladoire, La guerra de dos mundos, ECN, 42, 2011, pp. 63 - 75
No attending students
Teaching Unit A
Antonio Aimi, Gli Aztechi, RCS, Milano, 2019
Bernardino de Sahagún, Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España, only only chapters:1-15 of book VI and the whole book XII - Any edition
Diego Durán, Historia de las Indias de Nueva España e Islas de la Tierra Firme, II, only chapters: 60-77 - Any edition
Miguel León Portilla, Visión de los Vencidos - Any edition
Teaching Unit B
Hernán Cortés, Cartas de Relación, only Letters 1-3 - Any edition
Bernal Díaz del Castillo, Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España, only chapters. 17 - 157 - Any edition
Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo, Historia general y natural de las Indias, IV, book XXXIII, only chapters. 1 - 31 - Any edition
Teaching Unit C
Antonio Aimi, La "vera" visione dei vinti: la conquista del Messico nelle fonti azteche. CNR - Bulzoni, Roma, 2002
Miguel Pastrana Flores, Historias de la Conquista, UNAM, México, 2009, pp. 15 - 275
Susan Gillespie, The Aztec Kings, The University of Arizona Press, Tucson e Londra, 1989
Michel Graulich, Montezuma, only chapters: 7 -15 and Epilogue - Any edition
Students who do not know French instead of the above mentioned chapters of Graulich's book must study the following texts:
Juan José Batalla Rosado, Prisión y muerte de Motecuhzoma, según el relato de los códices mesoamericanos, Revista Española de Antropología Americana, 26, 1996, pp. 101-120.
John Elliott, The Mental World of Hernán Cortés, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 17, 1967, pp. 41-58.;
Susan Gillespie, Blaming Moteuczoma [sic]: The Anthropomorphization of the Aztec Conquest, in: Invasion and Transformation: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Conquest of Mexico, a cura di R. Brienen e M.. Jackson, University Press of Colorado, Niwot, 2008, pp. 25 - 55;
Patrick Johansson, Presagios del fin de un mundo en textos proféticos nahuas, ECN, 45, 2013, pp. 70 - 145
Diana Magaloni Kerpel, Imágenes de la conquista de México en los códices del siglo XVI. Una lectura de su contenido simbólico, AIIE, 82, pp. 5 - 45
Guilhem Olivier, Indios y Españoles frente a prácticas adivinatorias y presagios durante la conquista de México, ECN, 37, 2006, pp. 170 - 191;
Matthiew Restall, Los siete mitos de la conquista española, Paidos, México et al., 2004, pp. 17 - 79;
Eric Taladoire, La guerra de dos mundos, ECN, 42, 2011, pp. 63 - 75
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of an individual interview, which includes questions asked by the teacher and interactions between teacher and student. The interview has a variable duration depending on the teaching units studied by the student and is held in Italian. The interview aims to verify the knowledge of the texts read, the ability to contextualize the authors and their works, the ability in the presentation, the precision in the use of specific terminology, the ability of critical and personal reflection on the proposed themes.
The final grade is expressed in thirtieth, and the student has the right to reject it (in which case it will be recorded as "withdrawn").
International students or incoming Erasmus students are invited to make timely contact with the teacher. The exam modalities for students with disabilities and/or DSA must be agreed with the teacher, in agreement with the competent Office.
The final grade is expressed in thirtieth, and the student has the right to reject it (in which case it will be recorded as "withdrawn").
International students or incoming Erasmus students are invited to make timely contact with the teacher. The exam modalities for students with disabilities and/or DSA must be agreed with the teacher, in agreement with the competent Office.
Unita' didattica A
L-LIN/06 - LATIN AMERICAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-LIN/06 - LATIN AMERICAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-LIN/06 - LATIN AMERICAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours