Hunters, soldiers, and holy men : an archaeological study of masculinities and male household space at Mission San Antonio de Padua, Monterey County, California

Archaeological research at Mission San Antonio de Padua, California, reveals that masculinity was a complex and heterogeneous phenomenon during the 18th and 19th centuries, with discernible variations between colonizers and neophytes. The study analyzed three housing contexts—soldiers’ barracks, unmarried male neophyte dormitories (jayunte), and mixed-gender adobe housing—to explore gendered spatial organization and material culture. By synthesizing over 13,000 artifacts from 11 field seasons with historical sources, the research demonstrates that masculinity was not uniform but instead shaped both physical and social landscapes. Additionally, it argues that the concept of 'household' was strategically used by missionaries to restructure Indigenous societal frameworks, offering new insights into Spanish colonial archaeology.

Dylla, E. D. (2018). Hunters, soldiers, and holy men : an archaeological study of masculinities and male household space at Mission San Antonio de Padua, Monterey County, California. University of Texas at Austin. https://doi.org/10.15781/T23776B7D