Archaeology and Anthropology of Trash. Analysis of the Modern Material Culture of the San Pedro Waterfall (Northern Jalisco)

Abstract (English)

The application of archaeological knowledge in anthropology is relevant to understanding cultural phenomena through the analysis of evidence from material culture. Archaeological work in Mexico, for its part, has focused on studying pre-Hispanic populations, without considering proposals for analyzing materials from contemporary societies, where information is much greater and the application of anthropological analysis would be more pertinent, accurate, and comprehensive. The usefulness of archaeology in the study of modern societies stems from the proposals of the Garbage Project in the USA and the contributions in the field of search commissions for missing persons, in which archaeologists have actively collaborated. The term Garology refers to the set of applications of the study of modern material culture.

The project "Archaeology and Anthropology of Trash. Analysis of the Modern Material Culture of the San Pedro Waterfall (Northern Jalisco)" allows for the application of theoretical archaeological and anthropological knowledge to explain consumption patterns, areas of activity, and chronologies related to the use of material culture at the San Pedro Waterfall in Colotlán, Jalisco. This type of research is novel in our country, where it has not been applied despite significant precedents of similar work conducted in the USA. This pioneering research will also provide detailed knowledge of the type of human practices carried out in the surroundings of the San Pedro Waterfall in Colotlán, based on the analysis of evidence of modern material culture. The project has involved cartographic analysis, map development, surveying in the study area, complete systematic collection of material culture remains and coordinates, laboratory analysis using a type-variety methodology, statistical analysis, and report writing and obtaining results.