In many regards, the chaîne opératoire has greatly contributed to the study of ceramics. Since its incorporation within the analysis of archaeological artefacts, chaîne opératoire analysis has... Show moreIn many regards, the chaîne opératoire has greatly contributed to the study of ceramics. Since its incorporation within the analysis of archaeological artefacts, chaîne opératoire analysis has developed into a method which provides an understanding of the artisan community within a settlement. Furthermore, it provides solid material evidence of past artisanship, both through the reconstruction of manufacturing processes and technological choices. This paper addresses how chaîne opératoire studies can contribute to the reconstruction of the social organisation of craft, based on two case studies from the Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras. This research explores networks of actions and communities of practice at two sites. The first case study explores the role of the chaîne opératoire in identifying modes of craft transmission, while the second reveals several communities of practice, operating contemporaneously within the same site and sharing a market for similar products. Show less
This study of an indigenous community combines the use of archival documents with evidence from archaeological excavations to offer an anthropological analysis, drawing on the concepts of... Show moreThis study of an indigenous community combines the use of archival documents with evidence from archaeological excavations to offer an anthropological analysis, drawing on the concepts of dialogics, doxa, and practice to show how we can understand historically obscured people and histories. A network of pueblos de indios integrated themselves in colonial society in Honduras through service in a coastal watch, while resisting exploitation beyond the legal requirements of encomienda. The circulation of people between towns as spouses allowed for the sharing of colonial experiences and tactics of persistence. This network perpetuated indigenous practices, including the cultivation, circulation, and use of cacao, likely for ritual, and the use of chipped stone tools. Masca, later known as Candelaria, was one such indigenous town located in the district of San Pedro Sula. Its people identified as a community defined by the presence of their houses, church, agricultural fields, and cacao plantations. The community used a variety of techniques to persist under colonization until the nineteenth century. These included exploiting the colonial legal system, the continued use of indigenous family name by community elites, moving the entire community to avoid violence, and exploiting the casta system to change the perceived identity of individuals. Show less
