Read The Life-Giving Stone: Ethnoarchaeology of Maya Metates

The Life-Giving Stone: Ethnoarchaeology of Maya Metates

Michael T. Searcy

4.9/5 (12918 ratings)

Description:In The Life-Giving Stone, Michael Searcy provides a thought-provoking ethnoarchaeological account of metate and mano manufacture, marketing, and use among Guatemalan Maya for whom these stone implements are still essential equipment in everyday life and diet. Although many archaeologists have regarded these artifacts simply as common everyday tools and therefore unremarkable, Searcy’s methodology reveals how, for the ancient Maya, the manufacture and use of grinding stones significantly impacted their physical and economic welfare. In tracing the life cycle of these tools from production to discard for the modern Maya, Searcy discovers rich customs and traditions that indicate how metates and manos have continued to sustain lifenot just literally, in terms of food, but also in terms of culture. His research is based on two years of fieldwork among three Mayan groups, in which he documented behaviors associated with these tools during their procurement, production, acquisition, use, discard, and re-use. Searcy’s investigation documents traditional practices that are rapidly being lost or dramatically modified. In few instances will it be possible in the future to observe metates and manos as central elements in household provisioning or follow their path from hand-manufacture to market distribution and to intergenerational transmission. In this careful inquiry into the cultural significance of a simple tool, Searcy’s ethnographic observations are guided both by an interest in how grinding stone traditions have persisted and how they are changing today, and by the goal of enhancing the archaeological interpretation of these stones, which were so fundamental to pre-Hispanic agriculturalists with corn-based cuisines.We have made it easy for you to find a PDF Ebooks without any digging. And by having access to our ebooks online or by storing it on your computer, you have convenient answers with The Life-Giving Stone: Ethnoarchaeology of Maya Metates. To get started finding The Life-Giving Stone: Ethnoarchaeology of Maya Metates, you are right to find our website which has a comprehensive collection of manuals listed.
Our library is the biggest of these that have literally hundreds of thousands of different products represented.

Pages: —

Format: PDF, EPUB & Kindle Edition

Publisher: —

Release: —

ISBN: 0816529094

Description: In The Life-Giving Stone, Michael Searcy provides a thought-provoking ethnoarchaeological account of metate and mano manufacture, marketing, and use among Guatemalan Maya for whom these stone implements are still essential equipment in everyday life and diet. Although many archaeologists have regarded these artifacts simply as common everyday tools and therefore unremarkable, Searcy’s methodology reveals how, for the ancient Maya, the manufacture and use of grinding stones significantly impacted their physical and economic welfare. In tracing the life cycle of these tools from production to discard for the modern Maya, Searcy discovers rich customs and traditions that indicate how metates and manos have continued to sustain lifenot just literally, in terms of food, but also in terms of culture. His research is based on two years of fieldwork among three Mayan groups, in which he documented behaviors associated with these tools during their procurement, production, acquisition, use, discard, and re-use. Searcy’s investigation documents traditional practices that are rapidly being lost or dramatically modified. In few instances will it be possible in the future to observe metates and manos as central elements in household provisioning or follow their path from hand-manufacture to market distribution and to intergenerational transmission. In this careful inquiry into the cultural significance of a simple tool, Searcy’s ethnographic observations are guided both by an interest in how grinding stone traditions have persisted and how they are changing today, and by the goal of enhancing the archaeological interpretation of these stones, which were so fundamental to pre-Hispanic agriculturalists with corn-based cuisines.We have made it easy for you to find a PDF Ebooks without any digging. And by having access to our ebooks online or by storing it on your computer, you have convenient answers with The Life-Giving Stone: Ethnoarchaeology of Maya Metates. To get started finding The Life-Giving Stone: Ethnoarchaeology of Maya Metates, you are right to find our website which has a comprehensive collection of manuals listed.
Our library is the biggest of these that have literally hundreds of thousands of different products represented.

Special Offer | $0.00

Special Offer! | $0.00

The Life-Giving Stone: Ethnoarchaeology of Maya Metates

The Life-Giving Stone: Ethnoarchaeology of Maya Metates

More Books

The Life-Giving Stone: Ethnoarchaeology of Maya Metates by Michael T. Searcy (2011-05-15)

The Life-Giving Stone: Ethnoarchaeology of Maya Metates by Michael T. Searcy (2011-05-15)

Archaeological Structuration: A Critical Engagement for the Twenty-First Century

Archaeological Structuration: A Critical Engagement for the Twenty-First Century

Hinterlands to Cities: The Archaeology of Northwest Mexico and Its Vecinos (SAA Current Perspectives)

Hinterlands to Cities: The Archaeology of Northwest Mexico and Its Vecinos (SAA Current Perspectives)

The Extensive Analysis and Review Of In Defense of the Second Amendment:: An Overview Of Larry Correia and Nick Searcy Book

The Extensive Analysis and Review Of In Defense of the Second Amendment:: An Overview Of Larry Correia and Nick Searcy Book