ABSTRACT
As Maya archaeology enters the 21st century, it finds itself in the enviable position of being able to look back over more than two centuries of its own history. In this chapter, we look back over that history to examine the discipline’s changing relationship with contemporary Maya people, whom most scholars view as the living descendents of the Precolumbian Maya societies we study.1 We close with some observations and suggestions as to how Maya archaeology might take proactive steps to improve and strengthen this relationship, which we believe will have an ever greater impact on future archaeological research as the area’s modern inhabitants grapple with globalization, modernization, and identity politics.
