Material Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean

Contemporary and historical material culture in Latin America and the Caribbean can be a great way for students to explore communities in ways that can be paralleled to their lived experiences. Here are a few resources to explore this topic:

• Articles entitled; “Understanding the Significance of Migrants’ Material Culture” and “How Grills Tell the Story of the Guatemalan Highlands” can introduce students to these concepts in contemporary fashions.
• Researchers have discovered pendants made from extinct giant sloth bones in contemporary Brazil. This challenges commonly held beliefs about human migration in these lands. Find more about this discovery here.
• An ancient Maya city, named Ocomtún by researchers, has just been rediscovered in Mexico by researchers. Read more about the importance of this discovery here.
• UFL’s Florida Museum has a collection of Latin American Archaeology and Ethnography to explore
• Articles entitled, “Archaeology And Material Culture Of Santa Ana De Viajacas: A Coffee Plantation In Western Cuba” and, “Seaman’s Valley and Maroon Material Cultural in Jamaica” may be good case studies for students to apply their understanding of introductory materials