Publication Date

Spring 4-15-2022

Abstract

Around the world, the transition to agriculture happens at different times and under different conditions, sometimes failing to occur at all. I address how risk management strategies, such as Niche Construction tactics, influence human subsistence decision making, both within the context of climate or habitat changes and its converse, stability. I focus on how coastal resource reliance in the Soconusco region, Mexico, may have allowed the Archaic period Chantuto society to continue to rely on aquatic resources even as other groups in the region began relying on maize agriculture. To address this question within the context of stability, I focus on identifying changes in the harvest of resilient fishes and in the season of harvest, measured through a combination of quantitative zooarchaeological and stable isotope analyses. Results suggest changes in harvesting practices were not due to ecosystem engineering, but rather changes in gendered harvesting practices.

Keywords

niche construction, human behavioral ecology, soconusco, mexico, zoooarchaeology

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Anthropology

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Anthropology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Dr. Emily Lena Jones

Second Committee Member

Dr. James Boone

Third Committee Member

Dr. Bruce Huckell

Fourth Committee Member

Dr. Viorel Atudorei

Fifth Committee Member

Dr. Ronda Brulotte

Sixth Committee Member

Dr. Heather Thakar

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