UNEARTHING COLLABORATION: COMMUNITY AND MULTIVOCAL ARCHAEOLOGY IN HIGHLAND GUATEMALA BY Anne E. Kraemer Submitted to the Department of Anthropology and the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Kansas In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master’s of Arts ___________________ Chairperson Dr. John W. Hoopes Committee members _____________________ Dr. Jack Hofman _____________________ Dr. Brent Metz Date defended: April 20, 2007 i The Thesis Committee for Anne E. Kraemer certifies That this is the approved version of the following thesis: UNEARTHING COLLABORATION: COMMUNITY AND MULTIVOCAL ARCHAEOLOGY IN HIGHLAND GUATEMALA Committee: Chairperson ____________________________ Dr. John W. Hoopes ____________________________ Dr. Jack Hofman ___________________________ Dr. Brent Metz Date approved:_______________________ ii ABSTRACT Anne E. Kraemer Department of Anthropology University of Kansas 2008 The Proyecto Arqueológico Chocolá in Chocolá, Guatemala had been successful for three seasons until the perception of archaeology among the community residents changed. The tranquil community comprised primarily of K’iche’ Maya people that had once welcomed the archaeology project now forbade all archaeologists to enter the town for fear archaeologists with government support would steal their lands. When their livelihood, land and coffee, became threatened due to the archaeology site beneath their town the people defended their rights. This breakdown in multivocality, communication, and understanding is crucial to practicing archaeology in the modern world. The Kaqchikel Maya of Tecpan, Guatemala are involved in their past and their future. The Organización del Consejo de Autoridades Ajq’ija’ (Organization of Maya Priests) in Tecpan unites Maya priests to protect them, gain rights and respect in the government, and teach about battling discrimination. They are willing to work with archaeologists, as long as they are involved in every step of the project. The politically active Maya community has come together to form indigenous defense leagues and utilize the Kaqchikel and K’iche’ languages to connect to a wider Maya and non-Maya context. The archaeology project at Chocolá and ethnographic study in Tecpan are examples of the changing conditions archaeologists must face and prepare for in highland Guatemala and worldwide. Even an archaeology project that began with the best intentions can fail. Archaeologists can no longer only consider the excavation and material culture of the ancient past but now must consider the descendent communities and local communities living among and on the sites. Chocolá and Tecpan serve as a model for understanding multivocal and collaborative archaeology as well as the overall role of archaeology today. The overall aim is a collaborative project that incorporates indigenous, local, ethical, and archaeological voices to build a future with the local community. It is vital for archaeologists to understand and consistently utilize community archaeology in order to continue the profession of archaeology. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis is a compilation of many aspects in my life and many months away from family and friends, but it has shaped me into the person that I am. To my family… Thank you for your unending love, support, understanding, and patience. I would never be where I am without you. Thank you for the wisdom to question, the strength to travel the world, the willingness to be open to new people and cultures and never having the thought to judge. Especially, thank you to my parents, Patrick and Linda, who have provided me with everything and never failed in encouragement. To my friends…Many thanks to the people in Guatemala who made this thesis possible. Without your support, openness and willingness to tell your story, this work could not have been completed. Each one of you has eagerly opened your home and your hearts to me. Nim matyox to the people of Tecpan and the community of ajq’ija’, especially Waykan, Kaji' Kat, and Aq'ab'al. To Pakal Balam and his family, thank you so much for the many hours of practicing Kaqchikel, visiting archaeology sites and sharing your food, home, and tuj with me. Nim matyox to the plethora of people in Chocolá who talked for hours, provided laughter, tears, and brought me into the world of being a Chapin. Especially to Victor Diaz Can, Rogelio Tuy, Mario Tambriz, Cruz Salquin, Maria Zapeta, David Arana, Oscar Chávez and Cristina Meléndez. Thank you to Jonathan Kaplan for helping me to seek the truth and understand the difficulties of archaeology. Thank you to a dear friend in the field and in Guatemala, Juan Pablo Herrera Sanchez, who helped me to learn to speak like a Chapin, understand rural Guatemala, and find the courage to forge on. Lastly to some of the most amazing people in my life at KU, who have helped me to grow, change, and learn about the world and myself. I could not have done it without you; Rebecca J. Crosthwait, James W. Herynk, Jessica H. Craig, Shannon R. Ryan, and Emily G. Williams. To my professors… I have nothing but heartfelt gratitude to John Hoopes for always asking the most difficult questions and pushing me to look farther and deeper. He provided me with dreams and helped them to come true. Thank you to Jack Hofman and Brent Metz for always supporting me and not just in my thesis but in life's journey; thanks for listening to me as a friend. Lastly, thank you to Juneau, for always listening and never saying a word, being ready for a stress relieving walk at all hours, for waiting on me to go to bed, and always being the most excited when I returned home from the field. iv Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction……………………………………………………1 Chapter 2: Related Research………………………………………………26 Chapter 3: Tecpan and Surrounding Highlands……………………………69 Chapter 4: Chocolá………………………………………………………....108 Chapter 5: A Methodology of Collaborative Archaeology…………………142 Chapter 6: Conclusion………………………………………………………169 Appendix 1: World Archaeology Congress Code of Ethics………………..183 Appendix 2: Society for American Archaeology Code of Ethics………… 187 Appendix 3: American Anthropological Association Code of Ethics……..190 Appendix 4: Register of Professional Archaeologists Code of Conduct….197 Appendix 5: Thesis Methodology…………………………………………202 Appendix 6: Community Archaeology Checklist………………………….213 Bibliography………………………………………………………………..215 List of Figures………………………………………………………………231 v Chapter 1 Introduction “An aware, responsible and engaged global archaeology might be a relevant, positive force which recognizes and celebrates difference, diversity and real multivocality. Under common skies and before divided horizons, exposure to global difference and alterity prompts us all to seek responses and responsibility. In the process, knowledge and culture can be reworked, and with them, power and politics” ~Lynn Meskell 1998 Attempting to perform archaeology in the modern world is difficult and calls for a more sophisticated set of ethics and understanding of the power relationships and who can or should be in control. This thesis is a case study of archaeological research in two Guatemalan highland Maya communities, Tecpan and Chocolá. Tecpan is a community with a deep sense of Maya history and connection with the previously excavated site of Iximché, the ancient capital of the Kaqchikels. There is a culturally strong community of Maya priests who perform ceremonies at the site, many families visit Iximché for picnics and there is a strong political base for the Maya Movement. Chocolá is a K’iche’ Maya community focused on coffee agriculture with more historical ties to the German coffee finca of the early 1900s than to the ancient Maya site under their town. The primarily Evangelical religious community does not identify with the Maya Movement or early Maya history and provides a valuable contrast with Tecpan. This thesis will compare and contrast the success of “community archaeology” in each towards the development of an ethic and methodology that strives to resolve current conflicts. In 2003 Proyecto Arqueológico Chocolá began excavating the ancient Maya site of Chocolá and working with the community. This thesis investigates the 1 successes of the archaeology project, but primarily how and why the archaeology project ultimately failed. It also strives to understand how Maya Priests and others utilize archaeological sites as sacred places (worship space and places of power). Overall, this thesis attempts to understand the dynamic relationship between archaeologists and local communities, all which demonstrate the need for a more reflexive archaeology but more importantly a methodology for collaborative and multivocal archaeology. In May of 2006, the Proyecto Arqueológico Chocolá (PACH) was stopped. The residents of the small Guatemalan community, mostly K’iche’ Maya, protested the archaeology project because they believed the archaeologists were attempting to take their lands and unilaterally make decisions about their community. PACH was dedicated to community archaeology. It attempted community involvement through excavation and interpretation of artifacts as well as community development for education, a museum, and possible tourism. Despite the best intentions of the archaeology project, the vested interest of the community was lost. Without the support of the community, excavation became impossible because the archaeological site is located directly beneath the town. Excavation and reconnaissance required permission to enter