Pirates of the Pacific: A view from Oaxaca, Mexico

Summary

In the last half a century since Peter Gerhard published his seminal study titled Pirates of the West Coast of New Spain, 1575-1742, little research has been conducted on the historicity, materiality, and ethnography of these fascinating players in one of the most dynamic periods in Pacific history. We know that pirates engaged with Northern European merchants in systems of "trade." But how did they become so successful with so little infrastructure at sea? Prior to the establishment of Port Royal, historical sources are largely silent with regards to how essential sources of supply and coordinating intelligence were maintained. Drawing from historical, ethnographic, and archaeological data, this examination considers the role of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, in these operations; groups who may have become marginalized by political, social, and economic conditions under the Spanish Viceroyalty. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Before the Trans-Pacific Partnership: Pacific Coast Ports in the Americas, and Beyond   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 653