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9 Archaeological Conservation at Ek’ Balam and its influence on the Perception of the Pre‐Hispanic Past and Cultural Identity in the Maya Communities of Hunukú, Ek’ Balam, and Santa Rita
Author(s) -
Alonso Olvera Alejandra
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
archeological papers of the american anthropological association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.783
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1551-8248
pISSN - 1551-823X
DOI - 10.1111/apaa.12050
Subject(s) - maya , identity (music) , archaeology , anthropology , citizen journalism , population , geography , sociology , history , ethnology , art , aesthetics , political science , demography , law
The Ek’ Balam Archaeological Conservation Project includes the participation of the local Maya communities of Hunukú, Ek’ Balam, and Santa Rita, who have contributed their work to the project for more than ten years. This chapter explores the diversity of meanings that the archaeological site has for the local population, the importance of archaeology, and the participatory impact in the definition of cultural identity of these marginal groups. Following Magnoni et al. (2007) I use Ingold's model (2000:133) as a conceptual framework for understanding how the contemporary Maya conceptualize the pre‐Hispanic past and how this influences their own cultural identity. Ingold's model is a useful theoretical tool for determining the impact of archaeological work and conservation in modeling the interaction between local communities and the archaeological past.