Green Acres: The Valle de Yaxhom and Puuc Prehistory

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Bolonchen Regional Archaeological Project: 25 Years of Research in the Puuc" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

It has long been recognized that the two principal physiographic subdivisions of the Puuc are the wedge-shaped Valle de Sta. Elena, just south of the Puuc escarpment, and to its south, the Bolonchen Hill District. One goal of the PARB project was to explore the eastern manifestations of these two regions for possible differences in civic and residential organization. This contribution examines the development of social complexity in the eastern tip of the Valle de Sta. Elena, a shallow basin known as the Valle de Yaxhom, today renowned for its fertile soils. Ground and lidar survey by the PARB project indicate that it too was the major concentration of population in our regional sample, beginning with the construction of impressive Middle Formative monumental acropolises and peaking during the Terminal Classic period. This overview examines patterns of civic architecture within our sample, as well as the relationship of settlement to landforms and soils. We examine the question of whether the Valle was in fact a single community, and whether it exerted influence over neighboring communities to the south, as reflected in their civic architecture. Finally, we consider the broader economic and political position of the Valle within the region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)   •
• The Bolonchen Regional Archaeological Project: 25 Years of Research in the Puuc

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38125.0