How to Build a Better reservoir: Evolving Ancient Maya Strategies

Summary

This is an abstract from the "2023 Fryxell Award Symposium: Papers in Honor of Timothy Beach Part I" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The ancient inhabitants of the Elevated Interior Region of the Maya Lowlands spent centuries devising ways to capture and store rainwater in this seasonally arid environment devoid of sizeable permanent surface water bodies. Over time, varied methods were created to ensure a sufficient quantity of water to meet the demands of growing urban populations, as well as to improve the quality of water being collected and stored. We examine examples from Yaxnohcah, Calakmul, Tikal, and elsewhere to illustrate the evolving nature of ancient Maya reservoirs.

Cite this Record

How to Build a Better reservoir: Evolving Ancient Maya Strategies. Nicholas Dunning, Jeffrey Brewer, Christopher Carr, Kathryn Reese-Taylor, Armando Anaya Hernández. Presented at The 88th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. 2023 ( tDAR id: 473368)

Spatial Coverage

min long: -94.197; min lat: 16.004 ; max long: -86.682; max lat: 21.984 ;

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36163.0