Changing Identity and Foodways in Colonial New Mexico

Author(s): Ivana M. Ivanova

Year: 2020

Summary

This is a paper/report submission presented at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

During the early colonial period of New Mexico (1598 - 1680), colonists steadfastly clung to their Spanish identity to uphold ethnic hierarchy. Certain crops, notably wheat, were important to the reinforcement of that identity, and the Spanish attempted to grow them despite environmental difficulties. After Spanish reoccupation in 1692, the goals of the Spanish Empire shifted to emphasize northward expansion. Northern settlements were more isolated and dangerous, so colonists relied more heavily on trade relationships with Native Americans for survival. They began to self-identify as “New Mexican,” rather than Spanish to root themselves to the land. This research identifies the reflection of that change in identity through foodways, with a focus on macrobotanical evidence supported by other artifacts.

Cite this Record

Changing Identity and Foodways in Colonial New Mexico. Ivana M. Ivanova. 2020 ( tDAR id: 457313)

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Keywords

Temporal Keywords
Colonial New Mexico

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): 427