“Domesticated Waterscapes” in the Petén Lakes Region, Petén, Guatemala

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Hydro-Ecological System of the Maya in Petén, Guatemala" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

A recent lidar survey of the Petén Lakes in Petén, Guatemala, has confirmed landscape modifications suggested by previous research and revealed new evidence of water management and settlement placement. Influenced by Joel Palka’s recent work among the Lacandon Maya, we consider domesticated waterscape features such as canals and settlement drainage systems. We also consider the selection of living spaces. Canals connect some lakes and would have allowed canoe traffic; however, some are disappearing due to modern construction. Many settlements were designed with drainage systems that would have alleviated standing water and, in some cases, continue to do so. The locations of some settlements appeared to have been selected so that they are bounded on two sides by water. While our primary focus is the Middle to Late Preclassic period, many of the features discerned by the lidar survey are yet to be dated.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)   •
• Hydro-Ecological System of the Maya in Petén, Guatemala

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39132.0