Geographical Areas of Specialization
- Mexico (Oaxaca); Mesoamerica
Research Interests
- ancient and colonial Mexico; household archaeology; identity; food practices; soundscapes; social theory; colonialism; soil chemistry and microscale methods in archaeology
My research focuses on the peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico between 1500 B.C. to the present. I am particularly interested in how people in the past negotiated their place in the social, political, and economic world around them. I am interested in the ways that people figure out and creatively construct who they are, how they materially mark themselves in different social settings, and how they experience life as people with multiple overlapping and intersecting social identities.
In 2007, I started an archaeological research project in the Nejapa region of southeastern Oaxaca, Mexico.
My research explores these shifting multi-ethnic landscapes, with a specific focus on Olmec, Mixe, Chontal, Zapotec, Aztec, and Spanish presence.
An important subproject focuses on colonial period sites: the abandoned early Colonial period town of Majaltepec (Maxaltepeque) and the impressive casas principales of now-abandoned haciendas, one of which was the fifth largest hacienda in the state of Oaxaca around 1900.
I also have an interest in tracing ancient and modern pilgrimage routes connecting Nejapa to neighboring regions.
My previous research at the site of Río Viejo on the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico explored the economic specialization in cotton cloth and thread production, the organization of space in residential areas, mortuary practices and burial beneath houses, reuse and social memory, musical instruments and soundscapes, and the relationship between commensality and household membership.
King's research focuses on the peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico, between 1500 B.C. to the present. She is particularly interested in how people in the past negotiated their place in the social, political, and economic world around them. King is interested in the ways that people figure out and creatively construct who they are, how they materially mark themselves in different social settings, and how they experience life as people with multiple overlapping and intersecting social identities.
Geographical areas of specialization: Mexico (Oaxaca), Mesoamerica.
Research Areas
- Ancient & Colonial Mexico, household archaeology, identity, food practices, soundscapes, social theory; ancient comparative civilizations
Keywords:
- Minority Languages and Cultures Project
