Locascio, William A.
(2010)
COMMUNAL TRADITION AND THE NATURE OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY AMONG THE PREHISPANIC HOUSEHOLDS OF EL HATILLO (HE-4), PANAMA.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Prehispanic chiefdoms of Central Panama provide interesting cases for investigating whysocieties first began to organize themselves hierarchically and why members began to relate toone-another in ways that emphasized the relative status of each. The particular activities throughwhich a small number of individuals elevated their social status above the majority of apopulation, gaining influence over them, and the broader social circumstances that permitted thistransformation are critical to understanding processes that lead to the emergence of socialinequality. This dissertation presents data from archaeological excavations of households at thevillage of El Hatillo/He-4 -the principal political center of a prehispanic chiefdom that existed in the Río Parita Valley of Central Panama between about A.D 700 and A.D. 1522. These data and the patterns they reveal provide a basis for comparison of domestic activities and contexts across time within El Hatillo/He-4. Identifying differences in households (observed synchronically and diachronically), like the organization of space and activities that were undertaken within, is among the best ways to understand why certain groups were socially more important and influential than others. The Río Parita chiefdom, like most, also consisted of multiple villages socially unified under an elite leader, or chief, forming a more-or-less cohesive political unit, or chiefdom. Thus, principles of social organization and bases of authority extended beyond relationships among households at El Hatillo/He-4 to also include larger communities and outlying villages. Since household data do not permit us to understand interactions among groups across the village, let alone other villages in the polity, as clearly, the data presented in this dissertation.
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Details
Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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Status: |
Unpublished |
Creators/Authors: |
Creators | Email | Pitt Username | ORCID  |
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Locascio, William A. | wal5@pitt.edu | WAL5 | |
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ETD Committee: |
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Date: |
30 September 2010 |
Date Type: |
Completion |
Defense Date: |
4 May 2010 |
Approval Date: |
30 September 2010 |
Submission Date: |
2 August 2010 |
Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
Schools and Programs: |
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Anthropology |
Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
Refereed: |
Yes |
Uncontrolled Keywords: |
communal feasting; El Hatillo/He-4; Multiscalar archaeology; Panama archaeology; household archaeology; social inequality |
Other ID: |
http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-08022010-182903/, etd-08022010-182903 |
Date Deposited: |
10 Nov 2011 19:56 |
Last Modified: |
15 Nov 2016 13:47 |
URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/8837 |
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