Prioritizing the past: assessing the implications of collaborative archaeological research on heritage in Xaltocan, Mexico

ABSTRACT This article outlines the ways that community-engaged archaeology has and has not affected local interpretations of heritage in the small central Mexican town of Xaltocan. Drawing on observations made while conducting my own collaborative archaeology project in Xaltocan and on filmed interviews conducted during the summer of 2019, I explore a variety of forces that shape how people living in Xaltocan value their town’s past. Furthermore, this study highlights the ways that the modern community memorializes and celebrates the history of their town in an attempt to untangle the broader social meanings of prehispanic heritage, particularly as a mechanism for asserting political and social power in a rapidly changing region.