Archaeology and Material Culture of the Spanish Invasion of Mesoamerica and Forging of New Spain

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Archaeology and Material Culture of the Spanish Invasion of Mesoamerica and Forging of New Spain," at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This year marks the 500th anniversary of the start of the Spanish invasion or Conquista of Mesoamerica, including the pivotal Mexica-Spanish War (1519-1521), protracted conflicts in other regions, and the hybrid or syncretic processes that forged the new colonial order of New Spain. These events were foundational to the Mexico of today and served Spaniards as a template for similar conquests and colonial enterprises elsewhere in Central and South America and the southern United States. Contemporary historical scholarship foregrounds the heterogeneity of colonial encounters, strategic action on the part of native Mesoamericans, and the role of negotiation and compromise within hierarchical power structures. Papers in this session emphasize the archaeological lens into the period by considering deep-time historical processes and the material manifestations of colonial conflicts and societal transformations. Presentations in Spanish and English consider the roles of cumulative cultural-historical developments such as technology, disease, cultural identity, alliances and micro-patriotism, religion, violence, resistance, and other themes.