The Archaeology of Spanish and Mexican Ranchos: Daily life, labor, and heritage management

The roots of North American cattle industries can be traced to Spanish and Mexican –era ranchos. Ranchers representing colonial efforts of Spain, and later Mexico, during the 18th and 19th centuries created a wholly new culture in North America, centered on animal husbandry. These ranchos were usually owned by individual families who supervised a cadre of Indian laborers and vaqueros. The ranch owners owed their livelihood to the sale and trade of the products, primarily hide and tallow, derived from cattle. Historical records often provide a narrative of the rancho owner and capital products. Very little is known about the mundane day-to-day activities of the rancho owners, much less the Indian laborers. In this symposium, we bring together archaeologists studying rancho sites in Texas and California to discuss recent analysis, exploration of research themes tied to daily life and labor, and heritage management practices at these colonial institutions.