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Journal article
EARLY COLONIALISM AND POPULATION MOVEMENT AT THE MISSION SAN BERNABÉ, GUATEMALA
Ancient Mesoamerica, Vol.31(3), pp.543-553
01/01/2020
Web of Science ID: WOS:000600402200013
Abstract
Colonialism came late to northern Guatemala. The Spanish began to establish missions in the Peten Lakes region in the early 1700s, nearly 200 years after initial contact with the Mayas. Excavations in 2011–2012 at the Mission San Bernabé revealed European goods, nonnative animal species, and burial patterns that marked a new lifestyle. Who lived at the Mission San Bernabé, and where did they come from? The Spanish resettled indigenous populations to facilitate the colonization process; however, isotopic data are inconsistent with large population movements. Instead, strontium and oxygen isotope values in the tooth enamel and bones of individuals buried at the mission suggest a mostly local population. The data suggest in-migration from Belize, a region under nominal Spanish control, but with pre-Hispanic ties to the Peten. Changes did not come from migrants crossing a border; instead, the border itself moved and brought the colonial world to the Peten Mayas.
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Details
- Title
- EARLY COLONIALISM AND POPULATION MOVEMENT AT THE MISSION SAN BERNABÉ, GUATEMALA
- Publication Details
- Ancient Mesoamerica, Vol.31(3), pp.543-553
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Number of pages
- 11
- Copyright
- © The Author(s), 2020.
- Identifiers
- WOS:000600402200013; 99380171574006600
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology; College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities
- Language
- English