Exploring Landscapes of Political Violence through Collaborative Archaeology
Author(s): Tiffany C. Cain
Year: 2018
Summary
How does political violence impact civilian spaces and how can we rethink its consequences for everyday life? The Tihosuco Heritage Preservation and Community Development Project has used collaborative archaeology to grapple with the postconflict landscapes of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Our most recent work focuses specifically on an 18th-19th century town, called Tela, whose fortified houselots, roadblocks, and assemblages offer evidence of the early years (1847-1866) of the Caste War or Maya Social War. Our regional survey ties this town to a burgeoning 18-19th century frontier that drew on illicit trade with British Honduras as it grew and then fell to indigenous insurrection. We argue that in reconsidering the common material proxies of war – fortification and abandonment – in a way that recenters ordinary people, we will better understand not only the mechanics of war but the transformative effect of political violence on people’s lives and the landscape.
Cite this Record
Exploring Landscapes of Political Violence through Collaborative Archaeology. Tiffany C. Cain. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441455)
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Keywords
General
collaboration
•
Everyday Life
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Political Violence
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
19th Century
Spatial Coverage
min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 986