A Review of Paleocoastal Research on the Yucatan Peninsula

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Approaches to Submerged and Coastal Landscapes", at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The carbonate platform and shallow continental shelf of the Yucatan Peninsula supported the rise of the northern lowland Maya and the earlier dispersal of Paleoamerican peoples. Exploration in the region’s now-submerged caves has revealed the remains of early human inhabitants as well as diverse and well preserved faunal and botanical assemblages. Growing interest in Maya maritime trade and interaction has necessitated a more holistic understanding of the interrelationships between humans and coastal processes, particularly in zones of low topographic relief. Research programs have focused on Pleistocene/Holocene sea-level rise and its implications via a range of methodologies and proxies. Efforts have involved the recovery and analysis of cave and shallow marine sediment cores, speleothems, and sub-bottom sonar data in addition to detailed mapping and in situ geological and paleontological sampling. The resulting reconstructions of paleoclimate, paleoecology, and overall paleocoastal geomorphology have proven integral to ongoing archaeological investigations on the Yucatan Peninsula.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2024   •
• Approaches to Submerged and Coastal Landscapes

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow