Tiempo, Paisaje y Líneas de Vida en la Arqueología de Ñuu Savi

This work focuses on the interpretation of the archaeological remains of the Mixtec culture in Southern Mexico on the basis of the knowledge, perceptions, economy and worldview of contemporary descendant communities. Concretely it presents extensive new archaeological and ethnographic data, which result from long-term fieldwork in the region. The present-day social life, narratives and ritual practices of the present-day Mixtec people (Ñuu Savi), for example, throw light on the important archaeological complex of Ancient Chalcatongo (Ñuu Ndaya), an extensive survey and reconstruction of which is presented here for the first time.

The authors apply a new paradigm (the Great Line of Life), which seeks to decolonize the discipline in a flexible, relational, multifocal and holistic manner. This alternative archaeology is socially relevant because it combines the search for a deeper and broader scientific understanding with reinforcing the identification of contemporary Indigenous Peoples with their precolonial heritage. It is community-oriented and ethically based on respect the Indigenous Peoples’ rights, trying to contribute to a better quality of life.

Liana Ivette Jiménez Osorio is a Mexican archaeologist; she obtained her PhD in 2018 from the Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University. Her research focuses on the living heritage of the Mixtec People in Mexico, especially concerning the perception of time in relation to economic and ritual activities carried out in the landscape.

Emmanuel Posselt Santoyo is a Mexican archaeologist; he obtained her PhD in 2018 from the Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University. His research focuses on the cultural links between the archaeological remains in Southern Mexico and the contemporary knowledge, perceptions and traditions of the Mixtec people.