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Perception or deception? Land degradation in post‐conquest Michoacán, west central México
Author(s) -
Endfield G. H.,
O'Hara S. L.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
land degradation and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1099-145X
pISSN - 1085-3278
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-145x(199907/08)10:4<383::aid-ldr359>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , meaning (existential) , conquest , history , colonialism , interpretation (philosophy) , politics , subjectivity , period (music) , geography , archaeology , political science , law , aesthetics , computer science , epistemology , ancient history , art , philosophy , programming language
Historical sources are increasingly being used as a media for reconstructing environmental histories in many parts of the world. The rich archival collections of Mexico, for example, are recognised as an important source of information relating to Post‐Conquest environmental change at both a regional and a local scale. While such sources provide a unique window through which to view the past, it is imperative that the degree of subjectivity and bias inherent within these documents must be taken into account. In this paper we illustrate some of the problems and pitfalls in the use and interpretation of these sources using the example of colonial Michoacan, west‐central Mexico. Three document types relating to different phases of the colonial period are used to exemplify this concern. These indicate that to gain significance and meaning archival information must be considered within the socio‐economic and political context of the period in which they were compiled. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.