A Palynological Approach to Colonial Agro-Pastoral Activities at LA 20,000, New Mexico

Summary

The local environment at LA 20,000 played a major role in influencing what kinds of activities could take place at the ranch built by Spanish colonizers in the 17th century. Palynological analysis is used here to understand how the environment changed over the course of the colonial era and, in turn, inform what types of activities were performed at the site. My research identifies and quantifies plant taxa using palynology in order to understand land use at LA 20,000, a 17th century rancho site in New Mexico, and asks how the local environment and natural resources offered opportunities as well as limitations to the people living on the land. A diachronic approach will characterize plant populations before and after the establishment of LA 20,000, while a synchronic approach focusing on the 17th century colonial period will assess pollen signatures from different activity areas around the site, including the house, barn, and corral, in order to understand the specifics of Pueblo and Spanish land use practices, such as field crop production and livestock management. Together, these approaches inform the relationship between Spanish colonialism and the creation of social identity through food production and consumption.

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): 20346