Shedding Light on Labor: Photography, Archaeology, and the Making of Monumentality in Tajín, Mexico

This visual essay focuses on the visual documentation of the reconstruction of the archaeological site of Tajín from the late 1930s to the 1970s. During this period, the Mexican post-revolutionary state, motivated by the desire to forge a coherent nationality and boost mass tourism, actively supported and funded the monumental reconstruction of the Tajín pyramid and other pre-Hispanic structures across Mexico. Although the workers involved in the reconstruction of the pyramid appear in several on-site photographs, their labor remained ‘underexposed:’ their presence is rarely acknowledged in image labels, they are depicted in subordinated positions vis-à-vis the figure of the archaeologist or used as human scales or ethnic markers. Finally, these photographs, once consigned and buried in the archives, have rarely come into view. As a result, labor-related images are missing from the prevailing visual economy, which tends to prioritize and celebrate grandiose representations of pre-Hispanic ruins while overlooking the monumental process of their physical reconstruction. To counter this ‘underexposure’ of workers and labor, I unearth a selection of images from the archives and altered them by adding my own captions and descriptions, drawing from limited yet valuable information found in technical reports that shed light on the labor conditions at the site. This approach serves a dual purpose. Firstly, it aims to emphasize the significant role that Totonac workers played in the nation-building process by physically constructing Mexico’s ancient heritage. Secondly, it aims to bring attention to the persistent inequalities perpetuated, reinforced, and concealed by the field of archaeology throughout the construction process.