A Multiproxy Investigation of Maya Socio-political Territories: A Case Study from the Yalahau Region, northern Quintana Roo, Mexico

Summary

The Yalahau region in northern Quintana Roo, Mexico constitutes a unique physiographic landscape in the Maya area. The region is characterized by abundant freshwater wetlands, known locally as sabanas, which stand in marked contrast to the dry karstic plain of the northern Maya lowlands. The paper combines the results derived from surveys of the region’s settlements and its wetlands along with remote sensing data (in particular LANDSAT and LIDAR platforms) to highlight how multiple methodological approaches must be employed if we are to understand the dynamic nature of Maya territories. Specifically, we address both the challenges and advantages inherent in integrating remotely sensed data sets with other survey methodologies. We also discuss the contradictory nature of varying datasets (i.e. ceramics and architectural styles) often used to define territories in the Maya area. While focused predominately on the Terminal Preclassic period, the changing nature of sociopolitical boundaries in the Yalahau region during the Terminal Classic and Postclassic periods will be addressed.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• Lowland Maya Territories: Local Dynamics in Regional Landscapes

Keywords

Spatial Coverage