Feeding a Citadel: Subsistence Practices

Summary

This is an abstract from the "La Cuernavilla, Guatemala: A Maya Fortress and Its Environs" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

La Cuernavilla is an ancient Maya site situated in the El Zotz Biotope in the central Petén of Guatemala. This study focuses on the paleoenvironmental changes, agricultural subsistence, and occupational trajectories of La Cuernavilla, based on data gathered from across the larger landscape between 2009 and 2017 on the Proyecto Arqueológico El Zotz (PAEZ). Soil cores, water samples, and soil samples were collected from the cival, reservoir, dam, bajo, flattened terrain adjacent to the bajo, and the surrounding features near La Cuernavilla, providing insights into past environments and subsistence strategies. Results from pollen, phytolith, eDNA, and water chemistry analyses show changes in the paleoenvironment and climate throughout time. At a regional scale, recent hydrological data reveals an emphasis on manipulation and control of water for both agriculture and consumption. Within the flattened terrain adjacent to the bajo, the dearth of material culture suggests this area was used for agriculture rather than settlement. This case study highlights how the ancient Maya adapted subsistence practices during times of environmental or resource stress.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• La Cuernavilla, Guatemala: A Maya Fortress and Its Environs   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36994.0