Hybrid Cultures: The Visibility of the European Invasion of Caribbean Honduras in the 16th Century

Summary

Archaeological excavations in Caribbean coast Honduras explored the site of Ticamaya, described in 16th-century Spanish documents as the seat of a leader of indigenous resistance. Yet despite testing confirmed deposits from the period covering initial conflict with the Spanish, roughly 1520-1536, these excavations produced no use of European goods until the late 18th century. Contemporary with Ticamaya, the site of Naco to the west hosted troops sent by Cortes, and at least one majolica vessel was discarded there. The contrast could lead to the conclusion that Ticamaya was unaffected by the Spanish encounter until it was conquered. In our presentation we offer an alternative: emphasizing the novel construction of defensive walls at Ticamaya and its allied sites as likely material traces of innovations mediated by Spanish knowledge mobilized for indigenous resistance by a shipwrecked sailor turned strategist against Spanish invasion. Our proposal seeks to blur apparently firm lines between native and foreign materialities and define a third option of hybrid cultures.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Material Encounters and Indigenous Transformations in the Early Colonial Americas   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16593