Bioarchaeology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica: An Interdisciplinary Approach

This volume offers a novel interdisciplinary approach to researching population history in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. In studies that combine bioarchaeology, ethnohistory, mortuary archaeology, and dental morphology, contributors demonstrate the challenges and rewards of such integrative work when applied to large regional questions. Bioarchaeology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica is the result of fieldwork in Honduras, Belize, and a variety of sites in Mexico and addresses two major issues: migration and mobility, and ethnicity and social identity. The former is considered in essays examining biological distances to confirm accounts of migration patterns in the Valley of Mexico, testing hypotheses about mobility in the Classic Maya city of Yaxuná through strontium and isotope analysis, and examining mortuary patterns and practices among several Maya sites. The latter is studied by incorporating dental health data and burial rituals to investigate the social status of sacrificial victims during the Late Classic period. Ethnohistorical sources are combined in an examination of ancient Maya understandings of belonging and otherness, and skeletal remains are analyzed to explore the immigrant makeup of the multiethnic city of Copan. Revealing how complementary fields of study can together create a better understanding of the complex forces that impact population movements, this volume provides an inspiring picture of the exciting collaborative work currently under way among researchers in the region.
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