Exploring inequality at Copan, Honduras: A 2D and 3D geospatial comparison of household wealth

The archaeological site of Copan was a cultural and commercial crossroads at the southeastern Maya frontier. Research indicates that the demographics and sociopolitical circumstances of the city of Copan and its location within a circumscribed pocket (24 km2) of the larger Copan Valley varied throug...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ancient Mesoamerica 2023-01, Vol.34 (3), Article e11
Main Author: Richards-Rissetto, Heather
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Archaeological sites
Archaeology
Architecture
Case studies
Cities
Datasets
Digitization
Economic inequality
Household size
Households
Inequality
Informal groups
Trade
Wealth
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Summary:The archaeological site of Copan was a cultural and commercial crossroads at the southeastern Maya frontier. Research indicates that the demographics and sociopolitical circumstances of the city of Copan and its location within a circumscribed pocket (24 km2) of the larger Copan Valley varied through time. These circumstances not only influenced its social, political, and economic interactions, but likely the size, construction, and organization of households, specifically plazuelas. Copan's plazuelas differ from those located in other Maya regions because they often have smaller house platforms, comprise more than a single patio, and exhibit a larger than normal proportion of informal groups. Gini coefficients, to investigate wealth inequality based on household size using area, volume, and a modified volume, were calculated for Late Classic Copan to allow for comparisons to Gini coefficients from other Maya regions. While the Gini coefficients suggest that wealth inequality at Copan is much higher than in other Maya regions, deeper interpretations of inequality based solely on the Gini coefficients are limited, requiring not only additional geospatial analysis employing a multi-proxy Gini coefficient, but, importantly, a comparison to and a deeper reflection on previous research at Copan.
ISSN:0956-5361
1469-1787
DOI:10.1017/S0956536123000147