ABSTRACT
In a global history course organized chronologically, Mayan civilization is discussed after the fall of Rome and as contemporaneous with the rise of Islam in Southwest Asia and North Africa. However, it makes much more sense for students to compare the Mayan world with the Old World river-valley civilizations. Anthropology provides insight into the growth and development of human cultures, human inventions, materials, spiritual and artistic creations, institutions, relationships, beliefs, values, and practices. As anthropologists delved deeply and systematically into the way of life of different peoples and compared different cultures, they contributed to ongoing discussion about human nature. Geography helps focus attention on global interdependence, including increased attention to the non-Western world, its contributions to world history and culture, and its role in contemporary world affairs. The tools of geography are crucial for defining and comparing regions of the world; understanding the relationship between people and place.
