Total History: The Meaning of Hacienda Tabi

Abstract

Archaeological investigations at Hacienda Tabi have allowed us a glimpse into the lives of workers on the hacienda by making explicit connections between the social and cultural history of the area and the archaeological record. Using a total history approach, I first documented the rise of the hacienda system in Yucatán – beginning with its pre-Hispanic and Spanish Colonial antecedents – in order to identify aspects of continuity and change within local social and economic organization that resulted from the incorporation of households within an evolving capitalist system. I then related specific archaeological materials with aspects of social organization on the hacienda, such as social stratification, household organization, and occupational status by making explicit the links between the built environment, material culture, and individual and household behavior at Hacienda Tabi.