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Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican Dependency and “Slavery” in Postclassic Maya and Aztec Cultures
 | Email: Rosamund.fitzmaurice.17@ucl.ac.uk Supervisors:
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- Profile
Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican Dependency and “Slavery” in Postclassic Maya and Aztec Cultures
I am investigating the supposed presence of indigenous slavery in Postclassic Mesoamerica (ca CE 900-1521) focusing on Maya and Aztec cultures. Using methodology from archaeology, ethno-history, and anthropology I investigate relationships of dependency it in Pre-Colombian Mesoamerica. I use Spanish and Pre-Columbian indigenous sources to determine how formal and informal systems of forced labour were present in Mesoamerica prior to Spanish contact and conquest. I take into account cultural differences between Postclassic Mesoamerica and Early Modern Spain and the transcultural ideas which emerged from the melding of the cultures. Slavery touches on many themes of study within Mesoamerica, and thus I shall also be covering warfare, captives, tribute, and “sacrifice” in this context. Finally, I compare ideas of slavery and dependency to ancient and even modern slave systems and slave societies to determine how we understand slavery and dependency globally.
Education
- MA, Classical Studies, University of Edinburgh, 2016
- MA, Archaeology, University College London, 2018
- Publications
Forthcoming Rosamund E. Fitzmaurice, “Malintzin’s Origins: Slave or Cultural Confusion”, Ethnohistory, (in revision).
Forthcoming Rosamund E. Fitzmaurice, Review of Deciphering Aztec Heiroglyphs, in Papers at the Institute of Archaeology. (In press)
2021 Rosamund E. Fitzmaurice, Tia B. Watkins, and Jaime J. Awe “Play and Purpose: The Relationship between Patolli and Graffiti at Xunantunich, Belize” in Timeless Spaces Symposium Proceedings 2019 (eds) Rosamund Fitzmaurice, Tia B Watkins, and Yannis Nakas, in Papers at the Institute of Archaeology.
2021 Rosamund Fitzmaurice, invited contributor, “Maya graffiti” Mexicolore, available here.
2020 Tia B. Watkins, Gabriela Saldana, Rosamund Fitzmaurice, Adam Jurský, and Julie Hoggarth, “Results from the 2019 field season at Baking Pot, Belize” In The Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project: A Report of the 2019 Field Season, edited by Claire E. Ebert, John P. Walden, Julie A. Hoggarth & Jaime J. Awe, Volume 25.
2018 Tia B. Watkins, Jaime J. Awe, Christophe Helmke, and Rosamund E. Fitzmaurice. “Classic Maya Palaces and their Roles within the Greater Ceremonial Center: Results from the 2017 Field Season Xunantunich, Belize.” In The Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project: A Report of the 2017 Field Season, edited by Claire E. Ebert, Julie A. Hoggarth & Jaime J. Awe, Volume 23, pp. 333-356. Institute of Archaeology, Baylor University, Waco & Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff.
- Conference Papers
(2022) Rosamund E Fitzmaurice. “Malintzin’s origins: questioning her slave status using Spanish and Indigenous sources” a seminar for King's College London's department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies.
2022 Rosamund E Fitzmaurice. “Influence and graffiti in the Southern Maya lowlands: transmission of figural and patolli graffiti among the Classic Maya” Graduate Archaeology at Oxford Conference, online.
2021 Rosamund E Fitzmaurice. “Malintzin/Malinche/Doña Marina: Slave/Interpreter/Partner?” Theoretical Archaeology Group, online.
2021 Rosamund E Fitzmaurice. “Nose piercing and Mixtec stone altars as the epicentre of political ceremony” American Anthropological Association annual meeting, Baltimore, MD.
2021 Rosamund E Fitzmaurice “Forced Labour and Domestic Labour in Postclassic Mesoamerica: an example of social hierarchy and downward social mobility” Meeting for the American Society for Ethnohistory, online.
2020 Rosamund E Fitzmaurice. “Malintzin’s origins: Slave? Or cultural confusion?” Spanish and Latin American Studies Seminar UCL.
2020 Rosamund E Fitzmaurice. “Maya graffiti: history and interpretations” invited speaker for Speaking Archaeologically. Hosted on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na221Dbsmn8&t=50s
2020 Rosamund E. Fitzmaurice. “Ethnohistory and the examination of ‘Slavery’: can we use ethnohistory to understand Indigenous dependency in Pre-Columbian central Mexico?” University of Oxford Hispanic and Lusophone Graduate Seminar, Jesus College, Oxford.
2019 Rosamund E. Fitzmaurice. “Ethnohistory and ‘Slavery’: to what extent can we use ethnohistory to understand indigenous dependency in Pre-Columbian central Mexico?” Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) Conference, Institute of Archaeology, UCL.
2018 Rosamund E. Fitzmaurice and Elizabeth Graham. “Shifting Tides of Power: A New Perspective on Coastal Networks and Maya Economy.” Materiality of Maritime Cultures and Connections Conference, University of Durham.
2018 Rosamund E. Fitzmaurice. “Ordering Chaos in structure A13? Xunantunich Graffiti.” Graduate Archaeology at Oxford Conference, Oxford University.
2018 Rosamund E. Fitzmaurice. “Visibility in structure A13: Xunantunich Graffiti.” UCL MA Archaeology Conference, UCL.
