La Noria: A Hydrologic Technology of Yucatan

Author(s): Nina E. Williams

Year: 2013

Summary

This paper addresses the changes to the noria platform and to noria technology of north-central

Yucatán. I question whether personal preference influenced differentiation of the technology or if

specific utilitarian activities dictated more standardization through time. I use statistical

analysis to determine if there is equal variance among the noria openings and platforms. By

comparing three different property types (haciendas, ranchos, and conventos) the data indicates the

noria opening is standardized and the noria wheel did not change until the development of new

technologies in the early twentieth century. The platform shows differentiation; therefore, their

design was influenced by their activity set. The noria as a technology experienced little change

through the centuries and proved to be efficient while the platform went through periods of

decorative styling and considered a prestigious

feature, most common at haciendas.

Cite this Record

La Noria: A Hydrologic Technology of Yucatan. Nina E. Williams. Masters Thesis. New Mexico State University (NMSU), Anthropology. 2013 ( tDAR id: 500217) ; doi:10.48512/XCV8500217

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Culture
Historic • Historic Native American • Maya • Spanish

Material
Building Materials • Ceramic • Fauna • Glass • Ground Stone • Metal • Soil Samples

Site Name
Ebtun, Cuncunul, Kaua, Tekom, Tixcacalcupul, Yucatan • Xcalacoop

Site Type
Agricultural Field or Field Feature • Agricultural or Herding • Apiary • Canal or Canal Feature • Cemetery • Cenote • Corral • Hacienda • Hamlet / Village • Historic Church / Religious Structure • Historic Communal / Public Structure • Historic Governmental Structure • Historic Structure • noria (waterwheel) • Ossuary • Plaza • Resource Extraction / Production / Transportation Structure or Features • Road • Town / City • Trail • Water Control Feature • Water-Related

Investigation Types
Data Recovery / Excavation • Ethnographic Research • Ethnohistoric Research • Historic Background Research • Methodology, Theory, or Synthesis • Reconnaissance / Survey • Site Evaluation / Testing

General
'Historical Archaeology' • Archaeological site survey and testing • colonial and postcolonial transformations • Ethnohistory • Landscape • Yucatan, Mexico

Geographic Keywords
Yucatan, Mexico

Temporal Keywords
Historic Period 1545 - 2000

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: 1545 to 2024

Spatial Coverage

min long: -88.532; min lat: 20.532 ; max long: -88.167; max lat: 20.724 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Principal Investigator(s): Rani T Alexander

Record Identifiers

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Soil Permit, 2012(s): P330-12-00183

NMSU Institutional Review Board, Human Subjects Research, 2012(s): 7512 (Expedited)

Consejo de Arqueologia, Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (INAH)(s): Oficio Num. C.A. 401-36/1479

File Information

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Nina Williams La Noria: A Hydrologic Technology of Yucatan, MA Thesis, NMSU