Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Award: The Regeneration of Human Settlements after Episodes of Societal Collapse

Northwestern University, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

Doctoral candidate Roberto Rosado-Ramirez, of Northwestern University, along with colleagues in the US and Mexico, will conduct research to examine the social conditions that stimulate the regeneration of human settlements after episodes of societal collapse. Societal collapse is a process that brings political entities to an end, prompting economic instability, political fragmentation, and changes in a society's structure. Throughout human history, many societies have been able to reorganize after the challenging times brought about by episodes of collapse. With its long-term perspective on the study of social phenomena, archaeology can advance a broader understanding of the social and economic conditions that are instrumental in the process of revitalization of human settlements. This research project will evaluate four social factors that may contribute to post-collapse settlement regeneration: participation in exchange networks, limited wealth inequality, human migrations, and interactions with ruins. Determining the role that these social factors play in the establishment of post-collapse settlements has important implications for the present and the future. Research results may have a positive impact on the lives of people affected by episodes of societal collapse, such as displaced populations and refugees. Through public talks, academic articles, and an online platform, a wide range of individuals, including social scientists, government officials, and the general public, will have access to the conclusions reached by this research project. Mr. Rosado-Ramirez and his research team will investigate whether participation in exchange networks, limited wealth inequality, human migrations, and interactions with ruins were instrumental in a case of post-collapse settlement within a ruined city. The research will take place in Ake, an ancient city located in southeastern Mexico. This region was impacted by an episode of societal collapse between 750 and 1100 CE, that resulted in the abandonment of urban centers, the end of a political system based on the institution of divine kingship, and massive depopulation. After that period, people reorganized and established new settlements that thrived for hundreds of years. The research team will conduct systematic excavations in domestic mounds and shrines in Ake. They will analyze artifacts, human and animal remains, and architectural evidence to determine the social and economic conditions that allowed people to revitalize a settlement within a ruined city in the wake of collapse. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.