Vernacular Architecture in the Pre-Columbian Americas (Routledge Archaeology of the Ancient Americas)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1138646156 ISBN 13: 9781138646155

Publisher: Routledge, 2016

Vernacular Architecture in the Pre-Columbian Americas reveals the dynamism of the ancient past, where social relations and long-term history were created posthole by posthole, brick by brick. This collection shifts attention away from the elite and monumental architectural traditions of the region to instead investigate the creativity, subtlety and variability of common architecture and the people who built and dwelled in them. At the heart of this study of vernacular architecture is an emphasis on ordinary people and their built environments, and how these everyday spaces were pivotal in the making and meaning of social and cultural dynamics.

Providing a deeper and more nuanced temporal perspective of common buildings in the Americas, the editors have deftly framed a study that highlights sociocultural diversity while at the same time facilitating broader comparative conversations around the theme of vernacular architecture. With diverse case studies covering a broad range of periods and regions, Vernacular Architecture in the Pre-Columbian Americas is an important addition to the growing body of scholarship on the indigenous architecture of the Americas and is a key contribution to our archaeological understandings of past built environments.

Review:

"The book is an excellent resource for archaeologists interested in the study of prehistoric vernacular architecture in North and South America. It offers an assessment of prehistoric construction techniques and the meaning of architectural forms before cultures were disrupted by European dominance." - Cameron H. Lacquement, Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama.

About the Author:

Christina T. Halperin is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the Université de Montréal, Canada. She is a specialist in Maya archaeology and has published a number of papers and books, with her research focusing on the household, political economy, gender, materiality and daily life.

Lauren E. Schwartz is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Kenyon College, USA. Her research focuses on how the study of households, architecture and the built environment can inform our understanding of ancient social identity.