Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Department of Geography and Anthropology

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

This dissertation examines patterns of health disparities and inequalities as seen through a bioarchaeological lens of health defects and bone microstructure. Spaniards arrived in what is now known as Belize by 1544, forever changing the lives and health of the local Maya. A colonial mission site known as Tipu, located in modern-day central-western Belize, was occupied prior to, during, and following Spanish contact, and would become an important center for the indigenous Maya and Spaniards through the Colonial Period (AD 1519 onwards). This dissertation uses Tipu as a lens in which to understand the impact of colonialism on health and burial practices in the western Belize region. Bone histology and geographic information systems are used to assess the impact colonialism had on individuals inhabiting the Spanish colonial frontier in Belize. Rib fragments from 200 individuals were selected for histological analysis, results of which indicate that females, particularly females buried inside the church structure, had the highest annual rates of remodeling, indicating better health. When mapped, clear clusters of high and lower annual rates of remodeling are present. Additionally, a holistic health metric was designed for Tipu burials, and 466 individuals were mapped according to their health status scores. Results of these maps were strikingly similar to those made from annual rates of remodeling. When annual rates of remodeling were compared to health metric scores, the relationship was inconclusive and necessitates further research. This dissertation argues that the colonial experience at Tipu varied according to factors like sex, occupation, status, and proximity to Spanish settlements, and that variability in any could account for drastically different experiences or health outcomes. My dissertation suggests that the colonial experience was a continuum both in how it was experienced by the indigenous populations, but also in how much was embodied into everyday life via health status and bone microstructure.

Date

1-8-2025

Committee Chair

David Chicoine

Available for download on Saturday, January 08, 2028

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