Proposed reconstruction of Palaeoenvironmental dynamics in the region of Naachtun (Péten, Guatemala) during the late Holocene: contribution of several Bioindicators in a multi‐proxy study.

Summary

The city of Naachtun was an important maya Center in Southern Lowland (Guatemala). It was

occupied from the early Classic (250 AD) to the end of Late Classic period (950 AD). Its inhabitants developed

agriculture and a water management, as attested by geo‐archaeological evidences

(palaeo‐soils, terraces, water reservoirs and canal). Our study focuses on the palaeoenvironments in and

around Naachtun during the last 3500 years. We develop a multi‐proxy approach based on bioindicators

study to reconstruct past environments and socio‐environmental dynamics. The sedimentary

framework is established for the periphery of Naachtun in the north wetlands. Sediments cover the

period of human occupation from the Preclassic period and yield a wide range of fossil groups. Several

of these microfossils will be used to conduct our multi‐proxy palaeoenvironmental study: Phytoliths,

Pollens, Microcoals and Molluscs. Particularly, the phytoliths (siliceous particles produced by plants)

have a significant potential for the reconstructions of past vegetation assemblages. These fossils,

differentiating Poaceae subfamilies and charred phytoliths, also provide information on the use of plant

resources by human societies and their impact on landscapes. Finally, the use of several bioindicators

with a different mineralization (calcareous shells, sporopollenin) will allow to improve the accuracy of

the palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage