Abstract

In this paper, we update La Milpa’s settlement history using data produced during the course of the Programme for Belize Archaeological Project’s (PfBAP) 15-year tenure (2007-present) at the central precinct of La Milpa, one of the largest urban centers in the eastern Maya lowlands. The research model employed at PfBAP is one that enables multiple research projects to run concurrently, allowing investigators to tackle complex questions of community organization from various research angles. Since 2007, ten different projects have run, sometimes concurrently, within the central precinct of La Milpa. Based on the information gathered from these projects, we propose a narrative for La Milpa’s growth and contraction that is anchored on an understanding of urban space as a reflection and materialization of a community’s relationships – across and through socio-political hierarchies – as well as its surrounding social, political, economic, technical, and ideological environment. As such, the use, development, and abandonment patterns observed in La Milpa’s central precinct are used as proxy for La Milpa’s community history.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.