Hacienda archeology

Hacienda archeology

Hacienda plain lay at the edges of the east line of the hills situated on the volcano summit in the western region of modern Puebla. Over the years, this plain gave a home to Spaniards, who grew wheat, giving rise to habitation by Haciendans among other communities seeking a place to cultivate. As a result, the modern age relates to the identifiable ruins that archeologists use to explore the patterns of the livelihood and memories of inhabitors of this plain. The present study of the area provides insights into the day-to-day activities as well as the way of life of Acocotla’s indigenous workers. Further, Newman, 30 says that the two-season excavations and intensive architectural study in this area provide detailed recordings, test excavations and ground surveys.

Hacienda plains artifacts recovered from excavations

The Hacienda plain has massive flatlands in which early inhabitants planted wheat. The history of this area indicates that the first inhabitants utilized these lands for domestic activities, including rearing animals and building shelters. Recent research in the indigenous community demonstrates that there is a possibility that people built living houses in the area. There are traces of housing patterns established in the field both in the past and present. Despite these houses being smaller than modern homes, they lack interior ventilation, meaning that they were mainly for domestic activities. Most constructions in this area were from poured adobe, stone or bricks, and white plaster.

Additionally, excavations in this area have numerous artifacts and eco-facts, which show nearly twelve percent of all other objects extracted from the site. Almost 80 percent of the total artifacts were made up of ceramics, and about 11 percent were faunal remains. Ten percent of the gathered objects were architectural materials. The remaining 2.5 percent were materials making up glass, personal items and lithics. Also, architectures managed to collect at least two coins, which date to 1882.

The amassing part of this plain is the house construction, which assumes an unusual home model. In Hacienda, people did not value space inside their house; most houses have limited space to cater for the occupant needs. Vast artifacts were recovered in shared field as dozens of early occupants shared a common ground.

The study of the faunal remains and ceramic plays a significant role in understanding the way of life of the ancient Hacienda. The test excavations show that depositions were not rapid despite the discovery of centavo piece (Newman, 32).

Research discoveries show the presence of skeletal parts and ground weathering as a result of human or rodent activities. These discoveries show that mammals made the most significant percentage of the collection. The biggest portion of the animal remains includes bone fragments and teeth, with most teeth belonging to vertebrates. Most of the mammals existing in this area in ancient times were mainly domestic; however, some traces of wild animals are diverse, meaning they also lived in small numbers.

Cultural changes in this area were mainly due to the environment and interaction with alien communities. According to Newman, 23 interactions between the host and exotic locales gave birth to different languages. According to the linguistic analysis in this area, it is prevalent that the two main groups living in Hacienda plains we derived from two communities belonging to one family. There is data to show the existence of another culture in Hacienda.

Most regions in this plain have some similarities, while many areas in Hacienda experienced little development, with most people living in predominantly communities spreading out throughout the farming lands. Modern methods of technology were mainly practiced in the mountains. However, the mainland and highland occupants interacted during raids as Zapotec speakers raided Totalrecs to steal farm products, animals and ornaments.

Communities living in this area relate to one another in various ways. Nanosecs were farmers, Zatopecs provided raw materials to make ornaments and other finished goods. Zapotecs depend mainly on Nanosecs for farm labourers.

Additionally, oral histories show that the ancient inhabitants of this area have greater access to domestic animals, mainly sheep and goats. New generations living in this region say that Patio de Los Chivos inhabitants are goat and sheep keepers. The recovered ceramics provide evidence that the early inhabitants used these components to build cups and other kitchen materials. Further, ceramics and faunal remains show early signs of modernization and rapid industrialization. The presence of different materials such as glass and lithics makes this region to enjoy high rates of manufacturing during the ancient times.

Conclusively, archival investigations have the aim of determining how industrial capitalists and farming impacted the lives of Hacienda inhabitants. This research shows the discovered artifacts and archaeological materials. The chart shows the archeological components extracted from this plain, with ceramics making the most significant component in the region. Despite the discovery of archeological facts, archeologists discovered other materials, including animal remains and house structures.

Reference:

Newman, Elizabeth Terese. “Historical Archaeology At The Hacienda San Miguel Acocotla, Puebla, Mexico.” Latin American Antiquity, vol 25, no. 1, 2014, pp. 27-45. Cambridge University Press (CUP), DOI:10.7183/1045-6635.25.1.27. Accessed 2 Mar 2020.