Gardens of the Maya

Summary

Houselot gardens are defined as cultivated spaces adjacent to households used to grow flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruits. Gardens function as a primary source of many food items including staples, condiments, medicines, and spices; they provide many non-food items such as dyes, construction materials, or ornamentals; and also often provide food to sell in markets. Crops grown in houselot gardens encompass primary and secondary crops as well as those grown for both individual household use and income making them a fundamental element of household subsistence production and therefore play a central role in the political economy.

Despite their crucial role, ancient Maya gardens have received little attention, and their position within the political economy needs to be explored. This presentation investigates the articulation of Maya gardening practices with the political economy, focusing on how political changes impact this element of household production. I will be presenting data on gardens from the ancient Maya site of Chan, exploring how practices were affected in a dynamic political landscape. These data will be compared with contemporary data from Lacandon Maya gardens at the site of Lake Mensabak and I will discuss the changing role of gardens from the Preclassic through the modern era.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Nuts and Bolts of the Real "Business" of Ancient Maya Exchange (Part 2)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage