Please research a topic of your own choosing that is relevant to some aspect of pre-Colombian culture in Mexico, Central America or pre-contact South America.

Examples of topics may include (but are not limited) to the following:

· The possible relationship between Olmec baby figurines and monumental portrait heads.

· The use of chronographs at Monte Alban and other pre-Colombian sites.

· Portrayals of auto-blood sacrifice in Mayan sculpture.

· Examples of cross-cultural contact in the art of Teotihuacan and the Maya.

· The importance of murals at Teotihuacan.

· Examples of the cave mythos among pre-Colombian peoples.

· Sexuality as portrayed in Moche ceramics.

· Female leadership portrayed in MesoAm or Andean arts.

· The prevalence of the jaguar in pre-Colombian arts.

· The use of psychotropic drug imagery in Andean arts

· Encoded meanings in Inka tunics.

· The importance of the textile in pre-Colombian or Andean arts.

…and so on. I heartily encourage you to come up with your own variation on a topic. 

Ø Write up your research and observations in a 7-10 page paper with Chicago-style footnotes and bibliography.

Ø Include photos of your objects to include with your paper, if at all possible.

Ø All papers *must* have a thesis, bibliography and Chicago-style footnotes.

Ø Include the Grading Rubric and Checklist for Final Draft of the paper with your submission.

Be choosy with your sources, especially when using online sources; not all of them are created equal.