How the United Fruit Company Racialized Archaeological Labor in Guatemala, 1910–1953

A study reveals how the United Fruit Company (UFC) shaped archaeological labor practices at UNESCO World Heritage Sites Quiriguá and Zaculeu, Guatemala, between 1910–1953. Through collaboration with foreign archaeologists, the UFC's administrative structures perpetuated racialized labor exploitation, particularly targeting Afrodescendant workers in Quiriguá while reinforcing narratives of Indigenous deficiency in Zaculeu to serve corporate tourism and public relations goals. The research demonstrates that despite evolving archaeological methods and policies, corporate influence tied fieldwork to broader political economies of race, highlighting ongoing patterns of exploitation that persist today.

Holley-Kline, S. (2026). How the United Fruit Company Racialized Archaeological Labor in Guatemala, 1910–1953. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 68(3), 581–605. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0010417525100303