2 articles are attached, the Wilk 2004 article is for the question pertaining to mother and sister culture.
Prompt (article abstract): There exists a significant theoretical imbalance in the archaeological study of domestic and public domains. Although the domestic has been an important focus of theoretical discussion, there is not an adequate archaeological theory on the public, and the study of the public is often confused with that of elite strategies. We believe that this theoretical imbalance strongly shapes interpretations of early Maya society, leading to the problematic assumption that the domestic existed before the public. Jürgen Habermas’s concept of public sphere provides a logical starting point for the exploration of this issue. At the lowland Maya site of Ceibal, Guatemala, a public ceremonial complex was built around 1000 B.C.E. when some groups began to adopt a sedentary and agricultural way of life, but some populations probably maintained residential mobility and a mixed economy for the next few centuries. During this period of profound social change, the new public sphere probably served as an arena of negotiation between diverse groups through communal rituals. The construction of minor temples and the disappearance of figurines several centuries later signal a transformation of domestic ritual through its integration into a more homogeneous system of ritual practice rooted in earlier public rites.
After reading the article, address the following questions:
1. In about two paragraphs, summarize the argument that Inomata and his colleagues are making regarding the interpretation of the “domestic” sphere vs. the “public” sphere in complex societies. How do monumental structures factor in to this debate?
2. In one or two paragraphs, explain how public architecture at Ceibal changes the way in which people lived during the Middle Preclassic period?
3. In one or two paragraphs, based on the arguments made in this article, explain where you think Inomata and colleagues would fall in terms of the “mother culture” vs. “sister culture” debate regarding the Olmec and other Mesoamerican societies. Why do you think so? Make sure to define the debate first.
