Thinking About Acequias: Materiality and Uses of the Network of Urban Canals in San Juan de la Frontera Between the 17th and 19th Centuries

Abstract

Several archaeological investigations have analyzed prehispanic canals that local populations used for irrigation and have revealed their main constructive features. However, few studies have explored the physical characteristics of urban canal systems that were built in regional cities founded in the mid-16th century. In the case of the city of San Juan, there is no previous archaeological research on the subject, so it is unclear what other uses this system had besides its main function to provision water for irrigation and consumption. This article collects and systematizes data from historical sources in order to characterize urban canals and their role in domestic practices between the 17th and 19th centuries. The earliest records, cross-referenced with information from other regional cities, allow us to suggest that the colonial network of canals that irrigated urban gardens in San Juan was more irregular and disorderly than previously thought. It was in fact used for various types of waste disposal, which had diverse impacts on the materiality of the population.