Abstract
In the Mexican state of Yucatán, the Industrial Revolution is intimately linked to the cultivation and commercialization of henequen (Agave fourcroydes). The second half of the nineteenth and the first decade of the twentieth century are most often referred to as the region’s Gilded Age. Some local families accrued immense wealth, while many peasants were essentially enslaved. The city of Mérida saw the construction of magnificent mansions, and the new port of Progreso was connected through thousands of kilometers of railroads. At the same time, the rural landscape experienced the foundation of countless new and the expansion of existing haciendas. In this article, we provide a comparison of the relational memory of local communities regarding three of these historical settlements: San Pedro Cholul, San Antonio Nohuayún, and San Antonio Sihó. We present the circumstances leading to the historical archaeology project at San Pedro and recount our efforts at involving its descendant community. In the face of the recent destruction of San Pedro’s core buildings, we end with a discussion about the potential fates of Yucatan’s henequen haciendas and a series of suggestions on how to safeguard related material remains, while allowing stakeholders to benefit from historic preservation.
Highlights
In the Mexican state of Yucatán, the Industrial Revolution is intimately linked to the cultivation and commercialization of henequen (Agave fourcroydes)
Our research has shed light on the quotidian lives and household activities of San Pedro’s inhabitants [57], the health conditions which characterized peon families [58,59], and the technological innovations which occurred as part of the industrial revolution in rural
This review exposed the importance of establishing links with descendant communities and other groups of stakeholders regarding the preservation and management of historical heritage in Yucatan
Summary
Haciendas have been established on the Yucatan Peninsula since the seventeenth century, their numbers and economic importance increased significantly over the second half of the nineteenth century as part of the local expression of the Industrial Revolution. The Yucatecan haciendas of this period are the main examples of the exploitation, forced labor, and ideological manipulation to which the peninsular communities were subjected by an oligarchy of wealthy landowners They were the scene where different strategies of resistance were developed by indigenous people, who sought to subvert the living conditions of a highly restrictive system [8]. The economic boom associated with henequen cultivation brought about a Gilded Age for land-owning families, most of them residents of the state capital of Mérida While this group of oligarchs became rich and politically powerful, displaying their wealth by building European-style mansions in the city, the working-class inhabitants of the haciendas themselves fared less well. Through the discussion of relevant precedents as well as our own efforts, we will use the remainder of this article to shed the spotlight on community perceptions of historical heritage on the Yucatan, the actions taken by different groups of stakeholders, and the role archaeologists play as promoters of heritage preservation
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