Research design and dialogue: dynamics of participatory archaeology in Chalcatongo and Yosondua, Mixteca Alta, Mexico
This paper illustrates the collaborative aspects of archaeological research in two communities in the southern Mixteca Alta region of Oaxaca, Mexico. Whilst in several parts of the world archaeologists have developed multiple ways of informing, involving and collaborating with local communities, the...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Leiden Faculty of Archaeology
2017
|
| Summary: | This paper illustrates the collaborative aspects of archaeological research in two communities in the southern Mixteca Alta region of Oaxaca, Mexico. Whilst in several parts of the world archaeologists have developed multiple ways of informing, involving and collaborating with local communities, the case-study presented here observes that internal communal divisions determine the dialogue of archaeologist and community members and that an awareness of the political and social context underlying these divisions needs to be central to such participatory approaches. This paper, based on field seasons conducted between 1998 and 1999, first presents a background to the role of communities in the regional archaeological tradition, followed by a brief discussion of the results of a nonsystematic survey project undertaken in the two communities. These results - and the project goals that led to them - are then compared to the mentioned local context that shaped the project. It is concluded that this contemporary context ultimately determined the possibilities to develop the aspired participatory elements. |
|---|