Hydro-Ecological System of the Maya in Petén, Guatemala

Part of: Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Hydro-Ecological System of the Maya in Petén, Guatemala" at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Because water is necessary for human life and for agriculture, water management was critical for the survival of past societies and is a significant issue for the archaeology of climate change and sustainability. How were water sources controlled/not controlled? How did people utilize and maintain water sources? How was water involved in ecological, ideological, and symbolic systems? How was water related to ecological, ideological, and symbolic systems? In the Petén lakes region, Guatemala, freshwater ecosystems served as nurseries for many animals and fishes for the Maya around the region. In this session, we consider water management strategies and techniques in archaeological sites in Petén. Session participants discuss a wide range of water management practices, including water uses of lacustrine resources. By understanding the ways in which the Maya communities managed their water in the region, we might be able to solve present-day problems.

Other Keywords
digital archaeology • Maya: Preclassic • Water Management and Irrigation • Survey • Landscape • Settlement patterns • Water Management • Maya: Classic • Maya: Postclassic • Domesticated Waterscapes

Geographic Keywords
United Mexican States (Country) • Belize (Country) • North America (Continent) • Peten (State / Territory) • Yucatan (State / Territory) • Orange Walk (State / Territory) • Cayo (State / Territory) • Corozal (State / Territory) • Belize (State / Territory) • Stann Creek (State / Territory)

Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-5 of 5)

  • Documents (5)
Documents
  • Architecture and Hydrology: Defining the Sacred Landscape of the Tayasal Hinterland amid the Shores of Lake Petén Itzá, Guatemala (2024)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Lia Kalinkos. Marc Wolf. Timothy Pugh.

    This is an abstract from the "Hydro-Ecological System of the Maya in Petén, Guatemala" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Recent lidar survey of the Tayasal Peninsula in the Petén region of Guatemala revealed a collection of residence groups, situated on ridges of higher ground and separated by possible waterways of lower elevation. These suburb-like communities stand 2 km from Tayasal's urban core. They include structure compounds arranged into a...

  • “Domesticated Waterscapes” in the Petén Lakes Region, Petén, Guatemala (2024)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Evelyn Chan. Timothy Pugh. Kevin Schwarz.

    This is an abstract from the "Hydro-Ecological System of the Maya in Petén, Guatemala" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. A recent lidar survey of the Petén Lakes in Petén, Guatemala, has confirmed landscape modifications suggested by previous research and revealed new evidence of water management and settlement placement. Influenced by Joel Palka’s recent work among the Lacandon Maya, we consider domesticated waterscape features such as canals and...

  • The Hydraulic Landscape of Muralla de León (2024)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Justin Bracken.

    This is an abstract from the "Hydro-Ecological System of the Maya in Petén, Guatemala" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Premodern landscape modification at the northeast corner of Lake Macanché, surrounding the site of Muralla de León, predominantly consists of small hilltop settlements and hydraulic channels. These channels interact with the lake itself, as well as the juleques (pond-sized water-filled sinkholes) that cluster in the vicinity. Two...

  • Recent Research in an E-Group (Group AA) at Nixtun-Ch’ich’, Guatemala (2024)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Mikael Voltaire. Timothy Pugh.

    This is an abstract from the "Hydro-Ecological System of the Maya in Petén, Guatemala" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. E-Groups in the Maya world are believed to have had ritual purposes, serving as meeting centers where political meetings or markets may have taken place. They are also believed to have celebrated solar cycles. At Nixtun-Ch’ich’ three or four E-Groups are aligned on the site’s east-west axis. Our excavation in one of the E-Groups...

  • The Urban Grid: Connecting Water Management and City Organization in Nixtun-Ch'ich' (2024)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Gabriela Zygadlo Vera.

    This is an abstract from the "Hydro-Ecological System of the Maya in Petén, Guatemala" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Nixtun-Ch'ich', a Middle Preclasssic settlement along Lake Peten Itza is known for its city organization. Nixtun-Ch'ich' has been surveyed in a variety of ways including a theodolite with an electronic distance measurement (EDM), total station, lidar, and photogrammetry. These various maps of Nixtun-Ch'ich' show how the central...