Processes of Hispanic Ethnogenesis in New Mexico: Archaeological Investigations of an 18th-Century Spanish Ranch

University Of Massachusetts Boston, Dorchester MA

Investigators

Abstract

This project explores the processes of early modern colonization and the development of colonial societies. Changes in colonizing societies often follow a common trajectory: an early period of colonial experimentation is often followed by a later period of more regularized practices brought about by the distance from the cores of empires. Early colonies were often vulnerable, going through episodes of privation and upheaval as they attempted to establish themselves in unknown environments. Often colonists required time to learn and adjust in order to develop social and ecological relationships in novel lands, and in doing so they typically engaged and imposed on local Indigenous people. These relationships were key to colonial successes, and the practices colonists developed were frequently hybrid in nature, borrowing from Indigenous people. During later stages in some colonies, as colonizers became more settled and knowledgeable, they were able to exert more power and become hegemonic, while the hybrid nature of their society was acknowledged less. It was also during this period that more local identities, separate from the imperial core, developed. The creation of US Hispanic society is one such example. The research takes place on the grounds of and in collaboration with the living history museum, El Rancho de las Golondrinas, located near Santa Fe, New Mexico. The excavation, sampling, and results of the work will directly contribute to the educational mission of the museum, affording the public a view of archaeological inquiry and access to the results of this research. The processes of learning, refinement, and local identity formation unfolded as Spanish colonizers ultimately became Hispanic peoples. Using a diachronic perspective, this project builds on previous research into the establishment of households during the earliest Spanish colonization. The current project investigates a nearby Late Colonial Hispanic ranch site. Using archaeological excavation and environmental sampling (for example, pollen), the researchers define the nature, complexity, ecological relationships, and Indigenous contributions to the ranch. The archaeological and environmental investigations used by the researchers are particularly well suited to investigate the dynamic ecological relationships and social interactions with Indigenous peoples, which often went unrecorded in documents. Placed in comparison with data from earlier sites, this investigation provides an understanding of the long term trajectory and processes associated with the creation of Hispanic society. This project’s focus on Indigenous contributions within Hispanic contexts provides a more refined picture to history and adds to a broader understanding of the depth and complexity of Hispanic society within the boundaries of today’s United States. 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.