Colonial Indigenous and Mestizo Foodways: Ceramic Analysis and Ethnoarchaeology in the Highlands of Ecuador
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COLONIAL INDIGENOUS AND MESTIZO FOODWAYS: CERAMIC ANALYSIS AND ETHNOARCHAEOLOGY IN THE HIGHLANDS OF ECUADOR by Daniela Balanzátegui Moreno B.A. (Hons.), Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, 2007 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Archaeology Faculty of Environment © Daniela Balanzátegui 2012 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Spring 2012 All rights reserved. However, in accordance with the Copyright Act of Canada, this work may be reproduced, without authorization, under the conditions for “Fair Dealing”. Therefore, limited reproduction of this work for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review and news reporting is likely to be in accordance with the law, particularly if cited appropriately. Approval Name: Daniela Balanzátegui Degree: MA Title of Thesis: Colonial Indigenous and Mestizo Foodways: Ceramic Analysis and Ethnoarchaeology in the Highlands of Ecuador. Examining Committee: Chair: Dr. Dongya Yang Department Chair, Professor Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University ___________________________________________ Dr. Ross Jamieson Senior Supervisor Associate Professor Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University ___________________________________________ Dr. Catherine D’Andrea Supervisor Professor Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University ___________________________________________ Dr. Florencio Delgado External Examiner Associate Professor Colegio de Artes Liberales, Universidad San Francisco. Date Defended/Approved: ___________________________________________ ii Partial Copyright Licence STATEMENT OF ETHICS APPROVAL The author, whose name appears on the title page of this work, has obtained, for the research described in this work, either: (a) Human research ethics approval from the Simon Fraser University Office of Research Ethics, or (b) Advance approval of the animal care protocol from the University Animal Care Committee of Simon Fraser University; or has conducted the research (c) as a co-investigator, collaborator or research assistant in a research project approved in advance, or (d) as a member of a course approved in advance for minimal risk human research, by the Office of Research Ethics. A copy of the approval letter has been filed at the Theses Office of the University Library at the time of submission of this thesis or project. The original application for approval and letter of approval are filed with the relevant offices. Inquiries may be directed to those authorities. Simon Fraser University Library Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada Last update: Spring 2010 Abstract Archaeological approaches regarding cultural change or continuity after the Spanish conquest of America have been focused on presenting proportions of European (majolica) vs. Indigenous (coarse earthenware) ceramic styles. This thesis provides a reconstruction and quantification of vessel forms from an 18th century household (Riobamba, Ecuador). The results are compared with inventories and interviews from ten modern Indigenous and Mestizo households in the Highlands of Ecuador, in order to understand colonial food preparation and consumption traditions. Testing colonial practices, this work proposes that Mestizo population has been politically situated to practice European foodways to maintain social status and reinforce their separation from Indigenous people. Indigenous people intentionally continue local traditions of communal feasting with the use of large pots to express their identity. The theoretical implications of these findings shed light on a complex combination of domestic practices as builders of negotiable ethnic identities. Keywords: Indigenous people and Mestizos; colonial foodways; Andes of Ecuador; ceramic analysis; ethnoarchaeology iii Dedication Para Anita, Rafaela y las comunidades indígenas de los Andes Ecuatorianos iv Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Ross Jamieson and his family for making my family feel at home in Canada. I thank Dr. Jamieson for his continuous support of my MA study and research in the highlands of Ecuador. His patience, motivation and knowledge encouraged me to explore my academic interests and continue my graduate education. I would also like to thank Dr. Catherine D’ Andrea and Dr. Florencio Delgado for their encouragement, insightful comments, and suggestions on this research. I thank SFU for providing a Graduate International Research Award and the Institute of Socio-cultural Studies of San Francisco University- Riobamba for their support. Thanks to my volunteer assistants and friends, Leonardo Felix, Salome Aguirre (INCINE), Silvia Figueroa (PUCE) and Tamya Maldonado (USFQ). Thanks to the families of Sicalpa, La Vaqueria, La Pradera, Alausí, Quito and Puellaro, who opened their homes and served a plate of curiucho to this Mestiza. Furthermore, I would like to thank my aunt Anita, my daughter Rafaela, Fernando and my family, who inspire my work and support my decisions. v Table of Contents Approval .......................................................................................................................................... ii Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iii Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. xi Glossary ......................................................................................................................................... xii Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 Theoretical Background ................................................................................................................... 2 Foodways and identities .......................................................................................................... 2 Ethnic identities ....................................................................................................................... 3 Domestic foodways and Scale of study ................................................................................... 4 Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 2: INDIGENOUS AND WHITE-MESTIZO ETHNIC CATEGORIES IN ECUADOR .......................................................................................................................... 11 Ethnic categories in Ecuador .......................................................................................................... 11 Historical review of politics of differentiation in Ecuador ............................................................. 13 From ethnic lords to Indians ................................................................................................. 13 Early colonial cities and Indigenous migrations ................................................................... 15 The Casta system, purity of blood and early Mestizaje ........................................................ 17 Demographic changes and textile production ....................................................................... 20 New regulations and ethnic mobility ..................................................................................... 21 Enlightenment and capitalism ............................................................................................... 24 Indigenous people and White-mestizo society ....................................................................... 26 Chapter Summary ........................................................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER 3: COLONIAL FOODWAYS ........................................................................... 32 Ethnic identity and domestic material cultural ............................................................................... 32 Civilization and good manners ....................................................................................................... 36 Three colonial foodways ................................................................................................................ 39 Chapter Summary ........................................................................................................................... 42 CHAPTER 4: AN 18TH CENTURY INDIGENOUS- MESTIZO TABLEWARE ASSEMBLAGE: THE HUMBERTO SITE ............................................................................... 44 The Humberto site: the context and ceramic collection ................................................................. 44 Ceramic analysis ............................................................................................................................