Bioarchaeology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica

Bioarchaeology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica presents work from both Mesoamerican-based and U.S.-based researchers who use a combination of cultural ethnohistorical, (bio)archaeological, dental, and chemical data in an interdisciplinary approach to research population history in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The goals for such a project are threefold: 1) to encourage more cross-fertilization of work between fields and subfields, in order to more appropriately address large regional questions of population history; 2) to explicitly address the theoretical and methodological challenges and rewards of interdisciplinary research; and 3) to introduce a larger audience to the state of interdisciplinary work in Mesoamerica. The volume is organized into three primary sections. First, the editors discuss the theory and methods of interdisciplinary research, with a particular focus on bioarchaeological research. Then, we present authored case studies using interdisciplinary methods to analyze the population dynamics of migration and mobility (section two) and explore reconstructions of ethnicity and social identity (section three). A concluding chapter integrates these studies and places them into a broader research framework to guide future research.