Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Late and Terminal Classic Power Shifts in Central Yucatan: The View from Popola

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Scott Johnson, a graduate student at Tulane University under the direction of Dr. E. Wyllys Andrews V, will undertake an archaeological study of the small site of Popola, Yucatan, Mexico. Although Popola is small, it is near the large site of Chichen Itza and will likely provide information about how the larger site's political power affected the region. Chichen Itza became the most powerful political center of the northern Yucatan Peninsula in the late 800s or early 900s CE. Around the year 900 CE, Chichen Itza is believed to have defeated the site of Yaxuna, a large regional center located 18 km SSW of Chichen Itza. The pattern of artifacts, architecture, and iconography at Yaxuna and Chichen Itza are quite different. Popola, which likely interacted with Yaxuna and Chichen Itza, should provide important clues as to how this change of political power affected the region's small sites and the average person. Artifacts and architectural information will be gathered by excavations of structures and should produce a picture of changing regional interactions as Chichen Itza grew in importance.To help organize and interpret the data collected at Popola, Johnson will examine research questions in terms of community organization. Communities are central units of study in anthropology and archaeology because they are identifiable social groups. Communities often share traits, such as beliefs, subsistence practices, architectural ideals, construction techniques, and artifact types. By identifying and tracing the change of the community at Popola, it will be possible to identify major changes associated with changes in the regional power structure. In the past, questions of politics and power have been focused on the elite segments of society: rulers and power-brokers. Although the individuals at Popola had little influence on Chichen Itza's rise to power, they would have been affected by the choices and actions of the new capital's rulers and elite. Research at Popola is concentrated on understanding how the non-elite portions of society, such as farmers, potters, and small-time tradesmen, fared during this time.The archaeological project at Popola is committed to maintaining its positive relationship with the modern pueblo of Popola and continuing to support the training of other graduate students. For the last three years, archaeological work at the site of Popola has been supported by the local town of the same name. The project has become a major source of income for modern Popola, as the entire workforce is drawn from the local community. Project members are encouraged to discuss with workers the research process and how their labor helps illuminate the history of their town, region, and culture. The project holds town meetings throughout the season to explain what has been accomplished and learned from the work at the site. Over three years, seven students have been taught field methods such as surveying, mapping, and excavation at Popola, a tradition that will be continued in the 2011 season. The project at Popola is focused not only on research goals but also the education of professionals and the local community.