Long-Term Highland Maya Environmental Interaction: Integrating Archaeological, Ethnographic and Ecological Data

Summary

My ethnographic research documenting the sacred geography of the northern rim of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, has identified numerous contemporary sacred locations linked to ecologically critical areas. Some of these are archaeological monuments, while surface surveys of most others evidence pre-Hispanic materials. Additionally, previous survey (and limited excavation) documented a number of area archaeological sites dating to the Maya Preclassic, with some exhibiting habitation up to the present; many of these also appear to be correlated to environmental variables. Subsequent ethnographic investigation indicates current (and pervasive) environmental management, with practices of agriculture, agro-forestry, water and soil management, and even local micro-climatic manipulation being collectively utilized to manage local ecological processes; archaeological data reveals not only the temporal depth necessary for the development of such strategies but their implicit sustainability. Moreover, it appears such experientially-gained understanding is embedded in core cultural formulations regarding the antepasados (ancestors), with sacred sites serving as the metaphorical bridge between past and present populations. Thus, integrating data from archaeological, ecological, and ethnographic research can provide evidence of sustainable (over the long-term) ecological management and highlights the necessity of integrating archaeology into the study of environmental and socio-ecological resilience and long-term sustainability.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

Keywords

Spatial Coverage