Materials in Movement in the Isthmo-Colombian Area

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Materials in Movement in the Isthmo-Colombian Area" at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Archaeological research in Central America has traditionally focused on the material culture of its precolonial inhabitants. While objects have long been used to infer cultural identities, filiation, and migration patterns from cultural-historical approaches, the last decades have seen more nuanced practices. Discussions around authenticity have redirected attention to integration processes within local traditions, further benefiting the interpretation of foreign versus local. Moreover, new foci on materiality beyond artifacts have contributed to new understandings of mobility. In providing a regional overview of recent research on trajectories and biographies of circulating materials and their role in local lifeways across the Isthmo-Colombian Area, this symposium seeks to explore the material culture, exchange mechanisms, and cultural interconnections within the region. Contributions will provide insights into the movement of artifacts, (raw) materials, and resources within and across the Central Americas. In doing so, we aim to further understand the local reception, integration, or exclusion of foreign materials.