Farmers rarely feature prominently in accounts of Spanish colonialism. When they do, it is often ... more Farmers rarely feature prominently in accounts of Spanish colonialism. When they do, it is often because they assisted in staging rebellions. However, in Yucatán, Mexico, and elsewhere, the vast majority of the population consisted of farmers, who lived in places with long histories. The everyday decisions that they made about how to support the well-being of their households and communities influenced colonial trajectories. This dissertation tracks common farmers’ livelihood strategies at Tahcabo, Yucatán, throughout the Colonial period as a way of understanding how they negotiated colonial impositions and restrictions.
The research presented in this dissertation included interviews with current farmers, site survey, and excavation within residential and garden areas. Interviews provided information about the factors that farmers consider as they make agricultural decisions, and in particular how they use and understand dry sinkholes called rejolladas—landscape features often employed as gardens when located within settlements. The results of excavation within the rejolladas of central Tahcabo demonstrated some consistency in their specialized use through time. Excavations also took place at Colonial period residential areas located near the edges of town, where non-elite or recently arrived farmers lived.
Colonial policies enacted violence on rural livelihoods, resulting in food insecurity and inadequate resource access. In particular, they worked to narrow and constrict farming households’ activity portfolios, and encouraged dependence on field agriculture. After forcing many farmers from settlements across the countryside to relocate into designated towns, friars demanded that extended family households break apart into nuclear house lots. Nonetheless, excavation results show that, during the early Colonial period, town residents continued to live in extended family groups and pursued diversified livelihood activities, which included extended hunting and fishing trips. Nuclear family house lots were evident by the middle Colonial period. Heavy demands for commodities imposed as quotas for each adult family member led to activity intensification. Farmers responded to colonial violence through both mobility and place-making—strategies which remained in tension throughout the Colonial period. In short, this project provides new insights into the daily lives and livelihood decisions of ordinary families attempting to survive colonialism in Yucatán, Mexico.
In the archaeological study of ancient Maya sites, scholars have considered structures of various... more In the archaeological study of ancient Maya sites, scholars have considered structures of various sizes and configurations the material remains of households, social groups that made up the basic units of economic production. Archaeologists have used disparities in structure size and complexity to argue for political and ritual hierarchy among structures. This study presents faunal and botanical data from two structures at the site of K’axob, in northern Belize, which have been referred to as adjacent households. Using this biological as well as architectural evidence, I explore the relationship between the larger and smaller structure and developments in the organization of activity areas through time. I suggest that, by the Classic period, households were distributed across more than one structure. Complementary activities took place in adjoining areas, resulting in cooperation, rather than competition, across structures.
While a great deal of archaeological research in the Maya area has been conducted with the intere... more While a great deal of archaeological research in the Maya area has been conducted with the interests of the academic community and tourism industry in mind, there are fewer examples of archaeology conducted with the needs of local “publics” foregrounded. We propose greater dialogue between archaeologists and the people who live near (and within) places where archaeologists conduct research, and consider the dissemination of archaeological information to communities involved in archaeological projects to be an important principle of best practices within the discipline. Drawing from ongoing community-engaged archaeology at Tahcabo, Yucatán, we explore the opportunities and risks inherent in intensified dialogue and dissemination. In particular, we consider the challenges of balancing epistemologies within a co- learning project in which community members share their perceptions of archaeology and knowledge of cultural heritage and we propose archaeological techniques as beneficial ways to learn about local pasts and present-day issues. Reaching a rapprochement requires commitment to collaboration on both sides. Co-learning projects to be considered in this light include a field trip for middle school students and their parents to a nearby archaeological site, a youth photography project that addressed strengths and problems within the community, and a heritage day at the primary school.
This paper seeks to define rigor within an expanded concept of science that is compatible with co... more This paper seeks to define rigor within an expanded concept of science that is compatible with community-engaged archaeology. Much of the harm that archaeological research has caused for disenfranchised communities over the past century and more relates to archaeologists' hidden imperialist and colonialist agendas. These motivations in turn shaped archaeological knowledge production, cast inaccurately as scientific and thus neutral. For that reason, this paper begins with a discussion of researcher positionality and how that can intersect with various motivations. It provides an overview of the veins of motivation for archaeological research and identifies the commitments that community-engaged archaeology should center. Next, a concrete example demonstrates the relationship between accountability structures and research outcomes. Problematic and low-accountability representations of the past have implications for the present, and in particular for those who live near archaeological sites or are thought to relate to them in specific ways. In order to counter the effects of traditional archaeological practice in a responsible way, community-engaged archaeology can be seen as an interdependent science conducted with and for stakeholder communities with the objective of democratizing access to processes of data creation and interpretation. The rigor of such scientific activity can be demonstrated by its honesty and attention to researcher motivations, data interpretation, and the social context within which research takes place.
Co-Authors: Elizabeth A. Webb, Patricia A. McAnany, José Miguel Kanxoc Kumul, John G. Jones, Adol... more Co-Authors: Elizabeth A. Webb, Patricia A. McAnany, José Miguel Kanxoc Kumul, John G. Jones, Adolfo Iván Batún Alpuche, Carly Pope, and Morgan Russell
Abstract: In the northern Maya lowlands, agricultural practices varied as farmers responded to changing local and external circumstances. However, past agricultural dynamics have been difficult to detect archaeologically in the northern Yucatán peninsula of Mexico, in part due to shallow soils and poor preservation conditions. Deeper soils can be found in the region, particularly within landscape features called rejolladas—solution sinkholes that form large, bowl-like areas with characteristics advantageous for horticulture. As part of this study, based in the community of Tahcabo, Yucatán, we interviewed current town residents to understand the factors they consider when deciding what to grow today in centrally-located rejolladas. To determine what people grew within rejolladas in the past, we excavated within them and studied resulting pollen and soil carbon isotope samples. Results show that even as populations changed, farmers living in Tahcabo responded to the landscape, using rejolladas in broadly consistent ways through time. For example, one rejollada was used primarily for gardening, another for ritual activities, and a third for intensive cultivation. Still, innovations occurred—Tahcabo residents used rejolladas more intensively during the Late Formative through Early Classic periods, when populations were high and climate studies reveal a regional drying trend.
This article evaluates the extent to which the participatory method photovoice can be a useful to... more This article evaluates the extent to which the participatory method photovoice can be a useful tool for archaeologists working collaboratively with communities. It involves distributing cameras to a small group of participants who take photographs relevant to research questions that they then discuss and analyse. Photovoice may be useful to archaeologists trying to understand how collaborators relate to cultural heritage, and what they identify as community assets and challenges. Results can inform collaborative research goals. During the initial phases of a collaborative archaeological project, I facilitated photovoice for a group of six young people in Tahcabo, Mexico, and found that the technique promoted dialogue and taught me about what community members value, the struggles they face, and issues the project could address.
Las recientes investigaciones arqueológicas e históricas en Tahcabo, en combinación con las histo... more Las recientes investigaciones arqueológicas e históricas en Tahcabo, en combinación con las historias orales recopiladas en la comunidad, han arrojado información que explica por qué el sitio atrajo la atención de aquellos que trataron de controlar el oriente de Yucatán.
Farmers rarely feature prominently in accounts of Spanish colonialism. When they do, it is often ... more Farmers rarely feature prominently in accounts of Spanish colonialism. When they do, it is often because they assisted in staging rebellions. However, in Yucatán, Mexico, and elsewhere, the vast majority of the population consisted of farmers, who lived in places with long histories. The everyday decisions that they made about how to support the well-being of their households and communities influenced colonial trajectories. This dissertation tracks common farmers’ livelihood strategies at Tahcabo, Yucatán, throughout the Colonial period as a way of understanding how they negotiated colonial impositions and restrictions.
The research presented in this dissertation included interviews with current farmers, site survey, and excavation within residential and garden areas. Interviews provided information about the factors that farmers consider as they make agricultural decisions, and in particular how they use and understand dry sinkholes called rejolladas—landscape features often employed as gardens when located within settlements. The results of excavation within the rejolladas of central Tahcabo demonstrated some consistency in their specialized use through time. Excavations also took place at Colonial period residential areas located near the edges of town, where non-elite or recently arrived farmers lived.
Colonial policies enacted violence on rural livelihoods, resulting in food insecurity and inadequate resource access. In particular, they worked to narrow and constrict farming households’ activity portfolios, and encouraged dependence on field agriculture. After forcing many farmers from settlements across the countryside to relocate into designated towns, friars demanded that extended family households break apart into nuclear house lots. Nonetheless, excavation results show that, during the early Colonial period, town residents continued to live in extended family groups and pursued diversified livelihood activities, which included extended hunting and fishing trips. Nuclear family house lots were evident by the middle Colonial period. Heavy demands for commodities imposed as quotas for each adult family member led to activity intensification. Farmers responded to colonial violence through both mobility and place-making—strategies which remained in tension throughout the Colonial period. In short, this project provides new insights into the daily lives and livelihood decisions of ordinary families attempting to survive colonialism in Yucatán, Mexico.
In the archaeological study of ancient Maya sites, scholars have considered structures of various... more In the archaeological study of ancient Maya sites, scholars have considered structures of various sizes and configurations the material remains of households, social groups that made up the basic units of economic production. Archaeologists have used disparities in structure size and complexity to argue for political and ritual hierarchy among structures. This study presents faunal and botanical data from two structures at the site of K’axob, in northern Belize, which have been referred to as adjacent households. Using this biological as well as architectural evidence, I explore the relationship between the larger and smaller structure and developments in the organization of activity areas through time. I suggest that, by the Classic period, households were distributed across more than one structure. Complementary activities took place in adjoining areas, resulting in cooperation, rather than competition, across structures.
While a great deal of archaeological research in the Maya area has been conducted with the intere... more While a great deal of archaeological research in the Maya area has been conducted with the interests of the academic community and tourism industry in mind, there are fewer examples of archaeology conducted with the needs of local “publics” foregrounded. We propose greater dialogue between archaeologists and the people who live near (and within) places where archaeologists conduct research, and consider the dissemination of archaeological information to communities involved in archaeological projects to be an important principle of best practices within the discipline. Drawing from ongoing community-engaged archaeology at Tahcabo, Yucatán, we explore the opportunities and risks inherent in intensified dialogue and dissemination. In particular, we consider the challenges of balancing epistemologies within a co- learning project in which community members share their perceptions of archaeology and knowledge of cultural heritage and we propose archaeological techniques as beneficial ways to learn about local pasts and present-day issues. Reaching a rapprochement requires commitment to collaboration on both sides. Co-learning projects to be considered in this light include a field trip for middle school students and their parents to a nearby archaeological site, a youth photography project that addressed strengths and problems within the community, and a heritage day at the primary school.
This paper seeks to define rigor within an expanded concept of science that is compatible with co... more This paper seeks to define rigor within an expanded concept of science that is compatible with community-engaged archaeology. Much of the harm that archaeological research has caused for disenfranchised communities over the past century and more relates to archaeologists' hidden imperialist and colonialist agendas. These motivations in turn shaped archaeological knowledge production, cast inaccurately as scientific and thus neutral. For that reason, this paper begins with a discussion of researcher positionality and how that can intersect with various motivations. It provides an overview of the veins of motivation for archaeological research and identifies the commitments that community-engaged archaeology should center. Next, a concrete example demonstrates the relationship between accountability structures and research outcomes. Problematic and low-accountability representations of the past have implications for the present, and in particular for those who live near archaeological sites or are thought to relate to them in specific ways. In order to counter the effects of traditional archaeological practice in a responsible way, community-engaged archaeology can be seen as an interdependent science conducted with and for stakeholder communities with the objective of democratizing access to processes of data creation and interpretation. The rigor of such scientific activity can be demonstrated by its honesty and attention to researcher motivations, data interpretation, and the social context within which research takes place.
Co-Authors: Elizabeth A. Webb, Patricia A. McAnany, José Miguel Kanxoc Kumul, John G. Jones, Adol... more Co-Authors: Elizabeth A. Webb, Patricia A. McAnany, José Miguel Kanxoc Kumul, John G. Jones, Adolfo Iván Batún Alpuche, Carly Pope, and Morgan Russell
Abstract: In the northern Maya lowlands, agricultural practices varied as farmers responded to changing local and external circumstances. However, past agricultural dynamics have been difficult to detect archaeologically in the northern Yucatán peninsula of Mexico, in part due to shallow soils and poor preservation conditions. Deeper soils can be found in the region, particularly within landscape features called rejolladas—solution sinkholes that form large, bowl-like areas with characteristics advantageous for horticulture. As part of this study, based in the community of Tahcabo, Yucatán, we interviewed current town residents to understand the factors they consider when deciding what to grow today in centrally-located rejolladas. To determine what people grew within rejolladas in the past, we excavated within them and studied resulting pollen and soil carbon isotope samples. Results show that even as populations changed, farmers living in Tahcabo responded to the landscape, using rejolladas in broadly consistent ways through time. For example, one rejollada was used primarily for gardening, another for ritual activities, and a third for intensive cultivation. Still, innovations occurred—Tahcabo residents used rejolladas more intensively during the Late Formative through Early Classic periods, when populations were high and climate studies reveal a regional drying trend.
This article evaluates the extent to which the participatory method photovoice can be a useful to... more This article evaluates the extent to which the participatory method photovoice can be a useful tool for archaeologists working collaboratively with communities. It involves distributing cameras to a small group of participants who take photographs relevant to research questions that they then discuss and analyse. Photovoice may be useful to archaeologists trying to understand how collaborators relate to cultural heritage, and what they identify as community assets and challenges. Results can inform collaborative research goals. During the initial phases of a collaborative archaeological project, I facilitated photovoice for a group of six young people in Tahcabo, Mexico, and found that the technique promoted dialogue and taught me about what community members value, the struggles they face, and issues the project could address.
Las recientes investigaciones arqueológicas e históricas en Tahcabo, en combinación con las histo... more Las recientes investigaciones arqueológicas e históricas en Tahcabo, en combinación con las historias orales recopiladas en la comunidad, han arrojado información que explica por qué el sitio atrajo la atención de aquellos que trataron de controlar el oriente de Yucatán.
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Theses by Maia Dedrick
The research presented in this dissertation included interviews with current farmers, site survey, and excavation within residential and garden areas. Interviews provided information about the factors that farmers consider as they make agricultural decisions, and in particular how they use and understand dry sinkholes called rejolladas—landscape features often employed as gardens when located within settlements. The results of excavation within the rejolladas of central Tahcabo demonstrated some consistency in their specialized use through time. Excavations also took place at Colonial period residential areas located near the edges of town, where non-elite or recently arrived farmers lived.
Colonial policies enacted violence on rural livelihoods, resulting in food insecurity and inadequate resource access. In particular, they worked to narrow and constrict farming households’ activity portfolios, and encouraged dependence on field agriculture. After forcing many farmers from settlements across the countryside to relocate into designated towns, friars demanded that extended family households break apart into nuclear house lots. Nonetheless, excavation results show that, during the early Colonial period, town residents continued to live in extended family groups and pursued diversified livelihood activities, which included extended hunting and fishing trips. Nuclear family house lots were evident by the middle Colonial period. Heavy demands for commodities imposed as quotas for each adult family member led to activity intensification. Farmers responded to colonial violence through both mobility and place-making—strategies which remained in tension throughout the Colonial period. In short, this project provides new insights into the daily lives and livelihood decisions of ordinary families attempting to survive colonialism in Yucatán, Mexico.
Conference Presentations by Maia Dedrick
Papers by Maia Dedrick
Abstract: In the northern Maya lowlands, agricultural practices varied as farmers responded to changing local and external circumstances. However, past agricultural dynamics have been difficult to detect archaeologically in the northern Yucatán peninsula of Mexico, in part due to shallow soils and poor preservation conditions. Deeper soils can be found in the region, particularly within landscape features called rejolladas—solution sinkholes that form large, bowl-like areas with characteristics advantageous for horticulture. As part of this study, based in the community of Tahcabo, Yucatán, we interviewed current town residents to understand the factors they consider when deciding what to grow today in centrally-located rejolladas. To determine what people grew within rejolladas in the past, we excavated within them and studied resulting pollen and soil carbon isotope samples. Results show that even as populations changed, farmers living in Tahcabo responded to the landscape, using rejolladas in broadly consistent ways through time. For example, one rejollada was used primarily for gardening, another for ritual activities, and a third for intensive cultivation. Still, innovations occurred—Tahcabo residents used rejolladas more intensively during the Late Formative through Early Classic periods, when populations were high and climate studies reveal a regional drying trend.
Use this link for the full article: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/WIcmZe4H2WrfxadXtnEs/full
The research presented in this dissertation included interviews with current farmers, site survey, and excavation within residential and garden areas. Interviews provided information about the factors that farmers consider as they make agricultural decisions, and in particular how they use and understand dry sinkholes called rejolladas—landscape features often employed as gardens when located within settlements. The results of excavation within the rejolladas of central Tahcabo demonstrated some consistency in their specialized use through time. Excavations also took place at Colonial period residential areas located near the edges of town, where non-elite or recently arrived farmers lived.
Colonial policies enacted violence on rural livelihoods, resulting in food insecurity and inadequate resource access. In particular, they worked to narrow and constrict farming households’ activity portfolios, and encouraged dependence on field agriculture. After forcing many farmers from settlements across the countryside to relocate into designated towns, friars demanded that extended family households break apart into nuclear house lots. Nonetheless, excavation results show that, during the early Colonial period, town residents continued to live in extended family groups and pursued diversified livelihood activities, which included extended hunting and fishing trips. Nuclear family house lots were evident by the middle Colonial period. Heavy demands for commodities imposed as quotas for each adult family member led to activity intensification. Farmers responded to colonial violence through both mobility and place-making—strategies which remained in tension throughout the Colonial period. In short, this project provides new insights into the daily lives and livelihood decisions of ordinary families attempting to survive colonialism in Yucatán, Mexico.
Abstract: In the northern Maya lowlands, agricultural practices varied as farmers responded to changing local and external circumstances. However, past agricultural dynamics have been difficult to detect archaeologically in the northern Yucatán peninsula of Mexico, in part due to shallow soils and poor preservation conditions. Deeper soils can be found in the region, particularly within landscape features called rejolladas—solution sinkholes that form large, bowl-like areas with characteristics advantageous for horticulture. As part of this study, based in the community of Tahcabo, Yucatán, we interviewed current town residents to understand the factors they consider when deciding what to grow today in centrally-located rejolladas. To determine what people grew within rejolladas in the past, we excavated within them and studied resulting pollen and soil carbon isotope samples. Results show that even as populations changed, farmers living in Tahcabo responded to the landscape, using rejolladas in broadly consistent ways through time. For example, one rejollada was used primarily for gardening, another for ritual activities, and a third for intensive cultivation. Still, innovations occurred—Tahcabo residents used rejolladas more intensively during the Late Formative through Early Classic periods, when populations were high and climate studies reveal a regional drying trend.
Use this link for the full article: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/WIcmZe4H2WrfxadXtnEs/full