The Maya Economy: Dual? Integrated? Embedded? Or All of the Above?

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Ancient Maya Embedded Economies" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In this paper we argue that the complexity of Maya economic structures and the debates that ensue over their interpretation stem from the fact that manifestations of those economic structures vary so greatly across time and space in the precolumbian Maya world. Maya economies were both dichotomized along elite and commoner lines, while also integrated in some times and places. For this reason, a priori assumptions and traditional economic models must be used with caution to characterize the entirety of the Maya economy. The embedded nature of Maya economies further complicates interpretation as many traditional economic models do not take into consideration the implications of the interconnectedness of social, political, and economic structures and primarily focus on evidence of wealth accrual and power consolidation among the elite.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Ancient Maya Embedded Economies   •
• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32727