Strategies Which Foster Long Term Social Stability

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

Dr. Sarah Kurnick, of the University of Colorado Boulder, David Rogoff, of Methodist University, and Maya colleagues in Punta Laguna, Mexico will conduct archaeological excavation and analysis to understand better how politically authoritative relationships are regenerated in the wake of major societal transformations. Those exercising political authority often tie themselves to, and draw power from, the past. But how, if at all, do leaders use the past in the aftermath of drastic social change? What happens, in other words, when the past is traumatic? Do leaders continue to emphasize their ties to the past, distance themselves from the past, or alter the past to suit present political needs? This research will also examine whether and how archaeology - and a detailed knowledge of their past - can empower marginalized groups and alleviate social inequality. Can greater knowledge of one's history and heritage help combat economic, social, and political marginalization? To answer these and related questions, a research team comprised of academic archaeologists and indigenous Maya individuals will examine the regeneration of Maya society during the Postclassic period (1100-1500 CE) - the time after the infamous Maya "collapse" - and in so doing will work collaboratively to generate a better understanding of ancient Maya history with and for contemporary Maya people. The research also has the potential for generalization and to provide insight into processes which occur in the contemporary world. Scholars have identified the manipulation of the past as a crucial element in the exercise of political authority. Two common methods of manipulating the past include the veneration of ancestors and the modification of existing structures and monuments. Consequently, Dr. Kurnick and colleagues will analyze Postclassic Maya political authority by using archaeological excavation and analysis to determine how the Postclassic residents of one specific community - Punta Laguna - practiced ancestor veneration and whether and how they modified the existing, Classic period built environment they re-inhabited. Did the Postclassic inhabitants destroy existing architectural features, venerate them, modify them, or ignore them? Scholars have further demonstrated that inequality derives, in part, from the unequal distribution of economic, social, and cultural capital. The research team will thus work collaboratively with the local community to design workshops, tour guide trainings, and museum exhibits to produce forms of capital with and for a local, marginalized group.