Tracing the structural consequences of colonialism in rural Yucatán, Mexico

Abstract

Archaeologists from the United States working in what is referred to as the Maya area have paid insufficient attention to the structural violence of colonial rule and how their own narratives may perpetuate it. This article addresses the pervasive effects of colonial violence on farming communities in Yucatán, Mexico, which resulted in the undercutting of sustainable livelihoods and the imposition of hierarchies leading to systemic racism. The interpretation of archaeological and historical evidence can reveal the challenges that colonialism and its consequences posed for Indigenous peoples in their daily lives and also distinguish tactics that they used to achieve well-being. Following an account of colonial policies and their outcomes, we demonstrate how closely linked archaeological practice has been with colonial and imperial interests in Yucatán and suggest how archaeologists can reckon with the violence of colonialism and its resonances in archaeology today.