Maya Forest Management Practices at the Ancient City of Calakmul as Revealed by Analysis of Environmental DNA, Ambient Pollen, and Macrobotanical Remains

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Ancient Forest Management and Landscape Transformation: Anthropological Perspectives from the Americas" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Strategic forest management was imperative for the survival of inhabitants of the ancient Maya city of Calakmul. How were the inhabitants of this great polity able to support a sizable population for over 1600 years in a challenging environment? Environmental DNA (eDNA), pollen and macrobotanical remains from various archaeological contexts were analyzed to identify useful species that were maintained in the Maya agroforestry system. Changes in species composition through time based on eDNA and pollen data were used to estimate forest clearance and wood biomass production capability during the ancient Maya occupation. EDNA collections from residential and ceremonial archaeological contexts supplement our understanding of forest resource utilization and cultural value of agroforestry products. The successes of ancient Maya agroforestry practices may provide valuable insights for conservation advocates in the modern neotropics.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Ancient Forest Management and Landscape Transformation: Anthropological Perspectives from the Americas

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 50891