The Pursuit of Ruins

Archaeology, History, and the Making of Modern Mexico

Nonfiction, History, Americas, Mexico
Cover of the book The Pursuit of Ruins by Christina Bueno, University of New Mexico Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Christina Bueno ISBN: 9780826357335
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press Publication: October 15, 2016
Imprint: University of New Mexico Press Language: English
Author: Christina Bueno
ISBN: 9780826357335
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
Publication: October 15, 2016
Imprint: University of New Mexico Press
Language: English

Famous for its majestic ruins, Mexico has gone to great lengths to preserve and display the remains of its pre-Hispanic past. The Pursuit of Ruins argues that the government effort to take control of the ancient remains took off in the late nineteenth century during the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz. Under Díaz Mexico acquired an official history more firmly rooted in Indian antiquity. This prestigious pedigree served to counter Mexico’s image as a backward, peripheral nation. The government claimed symbolic links with the great civilizations of pre-Hispanic times as it hauled statues to the National Museum and reconstructed Teotihuacán. Christina Bueno explores the different facets of the Porfirian archaeological project and underscores the contradictory place of indigenous identity in modern Mexico. While the making of Mexico’s official past was thought to bind the nation together, it was an exclusionary process, one that celebrated the civilizations of bygone times while disparaging contemporary Indians.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Famous for its majestic ruins, Mexico has gone to great lengths to preserve and display the remains of its pre-Hispanic past. The Pursuit of Ruins argues that the government effort to take control of the ancient remains took off in the late nineteenth century during the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz. Under Díaz Mexico acquired an official history more firmly rooted in Indian antiquity. This prestigious pedigree served to counter Mexico’s image as a backward, peripheral nation. The government claimed symbolic links with the great civilizations of pre-Hispanic times as it hauled statues to the National Museum and reconstructed Teotihuacán. Christina Bueno explores the different facets of the Porfirian archaeological project and underscores the contradictory place of indigenous identity in modern Mexico. While the making of Mexico’s official past was thought to bind the nation together, it was an exclusionary process, one that celebrated the civilizations of bygone times while disparaging contemporary Indians.

More books from University of New Mexico Press

Cover of the book Creating Mexican Consumer Culture in the Age of Porfirio Díaz by Christina Bueno
Cover of the book Media Management in the Age of Giants: Business Dynamics of Journalism. Second Edition. by Christina Bueno
Cover of the book Philmont by Christina Bueno
Cover of the book How America Got Its Guns by Christina Bueno
Cover of the book Slavery, Freedom, and Abolition in Latin America and the Atlantic World by Christina Bueno
Cover of the book Spring's Edge by Christina Bueno
Cover of the book New Mexico's Spanish Livestock Heritage by Christina Bueno
Cover of the book Geeks, Genes, and the Evolution of Asperger Syndrome by Christina Bueno
Cover of the book Mexico's Supreme Court by Christina Bueno
Cover of the book The Case of the Indian Trader by Christina Bueno
Cover of the book Landscape Dreams, A New Mexico Portrait by Christina Bueno
Cover of the book The Place Names of New Mexico by Christina Bueno
Cover of the book Moonshots and Snapshots of Project Apollo by Christina Bueno
Cover of the book Enduring Acequias by Christina Bueno
Cover of the book A Drama of the Southwest by Christina Bueno
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy