Identity and Ideology in the Hohokam Ballcourt World

Summary

The Hohokam Ballcourt World encompassed much of the middle Gila River watershed from around A.D. 800 to 1100. The widespread ideology that many archaeologists associate with the use of ballcourts correlates with an expression of group identity that manifests itself in the archaeological record as the suite of traits that mark the Hohokam pre-Classic period. Despite the fact that archaeologists commonly define groups based on their material culture, these groups are not static. Parts of identity within them are often fluid, changing with the prevailing socioeconomic tides, while other parts of identity are more persistent. This project will combine multiple material classes into a framework capable of assessing multiple scales of identity during an important period in the Hohokam pre-Classic, when a new religious ideology —the Hohokam Ballcourt World— developed, spread, and eventually declined. The goal of this study is to use a multiscalar approach to identity, emphasizing both active and latent expressions, to demonstrate that outward displays of cohesion at Hohokam sites mask underlying social diversity related to persistent local identities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20142