The architecture and built landscapes of precolonial and pre-Columbian North, Central and South America were a rich and varied tapestry chronicling humanity’s relationship to the natural world and each other.  Your paper should explore the ways in which this relationship between the landscape and society shaped the built environment of native peoples in the Americas.  Some possible topics for your essay may include:

What are some of the ways that astronomy and celestial observation and knowledge played a role in the built environment?  Possible sites of investigation include Chaco Canyon, Cahokia and Teotihuacan.
What role did warfare, human sacrifice and religious worship play in Aztec architecture?
What were some of the successful (or unsuccessful) environmental sustainability strategies seen in indigenous societies?  Possible locations of exploration include Cahokia, Chaco Canyon and Tenochtitlan.