Identifying Farming Strategies within Changing Regional Contexts at Tahcabo, Yucatán

Summary

Colonial- and national-period studies of agricultural practices in Yucatán can provide useful case studies to address current theoretical concerns in political ecology. Perspectives on livelihood strategies today are broadly comparable to household-level studies of economic activities accessible through archaeology, especially given historical archaeology’s attention to market integration and technological innovations. The time depth available through archaeological study complements contemporary analyses that address decision-making processes and the connections between global and local phenomena. In particular, archaeological study may contribute perspectives on the possible outcomes, sustainable or otherwise, of specialized and intensive production. This presentation examines Colonial-period strategies based on evidence from two contexts at Tahcabo: households and rejolladas (limestone solution sinkholes that contain deep soils). Given the sociopolitical, environmental, and demographic dynamics known to have existed at the time, we consider farming choices and their implications for risk management and long-term sustainability.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Recent Shifts in Maya Archaeology: Investigations of the Colonial and National Periods of the Yucatan   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 17414