Tracing Tides of Change: Perspectives on Mobility and Materiality in Precolonial Central America

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Materials in Movement in the Isthmo-Colombian Area" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Matters of materiality and mobility across Central America have long been the subject of archaeological investigation concerning its precolonial past. In outlining the spectrum of material movements and their broader sociocultural implications beyond traditional archaeological narratives, this introductory paper seeks to explore the interplay between foreign influences and local integrations of material culture in the Isthmo-Colombian Area. As a precursor to the broader symposium discussions, this paper intends to frame a robust academic exploration of mobility and materiality across and within the precolonial Central Americas, prompting scholars to reconsider its dynamics through the lens of material flows and their transformative impacts on its societies. We particularly want to move beyond some of the more prevailing narratives, including the impact of predominantly external influences on the sociopolitical development of the region. In doing so, we aim to paint a more holistic picture of the mechanisms and dynamics of material trajectories and their effects on matters of migration, filiation, and (social) identity.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Materials in Movement in the Isthmo-Colombian Area   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 41500.0