A Long Term Perspective On Middle American Ecology And Political Economy

College Of Lake County, Grayslake IL

Investigators

Abstract

Dr. Scott Palumbo, of the College of Lake County, along with colleagues in Central America and the United States, will collect and analyze archaeological data from the Bolas region in the mountains of southern Costa Rica. This area witnessed the incipient development of social complexity and multiple sites in the region are characterized by conspicuous monumentality (e.g. stone spheres, large earthen mounds). Previous scholarship concentrated largely upon interpretations of artwork, and it is not yet clear which economic or political factors contributed to social changes over time. Such questions are important to pursue because the various pathways to social hierarchy are not completely understood. As these social changes lie in the prehistoric past, archaeology is one of the few avenues capable of studying this topic in detail. By taking a long term approach it is possible to gain insight into the factors which hold small scale societies together an allow them to function as effective stable units. The problem of social stability - or lack thereof - is an important source of dissention in the world today and thus the research is of practical contemporary relevance. Several researchers previously argued that control over the best agricultural land was important to political authorities; others argued that social factors were the primary determinant of settlement distribution. The Bolas region represents an ideal location to investigate these possibilities because it is environmentally heterogeneous and because previous research documented variations in the intensity of craft production between settlements. Dr. Palumbo and his research team will investigate these possibilities through regional survey of Bolas and its immediate hinterland. The survey will involve digging thousands of small excavation units and collecting artifacts (e.g. stone chips, broken pottery) from domestic trash contexts from dozens of sites. This trash will be compared and contrasted to examine differences in social status and variation in past production activities. This study may demonstrate that the evidence for high social rank was closely associated with the best agricultural land over time, thus suggesting this one environmental variable assumed an important role in development of hierarchy. Another possible result is that high ranking households were weakly associated with the best soils, but instead practiced other activities (e.g. hosting feasts, producing crafts), suggesting a political economy based on different principles. Ultimately, this research will be used to compare the Bolas region to other regions in the world to better understand how social complexity developed and persisted in the past. The team will generate important data and strengthen scholarly collaborations between colleagues in the United States and Costa Rica, as well as create and enhance educational opportunities for students and local communities.