Creating the Center, Interaction in the Central Karstic Uplands during the Preclassic

Summary

From roughly 800 BCE, evidence supports the development of a widespread regional interaction sphere centered in the Central Karstic Uplands. This paper discusses specific data regarding the origins of this network and the subsequent integration of the Central Karstic Uplands as an economic force in the Maya lowlands. Scholars have long recognized the strong affiliations among the major cities that comprise this network during the Preclassic. Recently artifacts recovered from sites point to extensive trade with distant regions. Further architectural layout and city planning suggest major ties to other areas in the Maya lowlands, such as the Northern Yucatan and the Chetumal Bay area. No doubt, the strategic location of the Central Karstic Uplands with regards to transportation and the development of an extensive road system in the Preclassic contributed to its development as a major commercial hub for cross peninsular exchange and beyond. Finally, we suggest that the control of trade by centers in the Central Karstic Uplands was a major factor in the precocious urbanization of the region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• The Dynamics of the Preclassic in the Heart of the Maya Lowlands

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 17199