Climatic variability during the Classic to Postclassic transition in central Mesoamerica.

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Classic-Postclassic Transition in Oaxaca" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Central-Mesoamerica has several lacustrine basins that stand out as particularly sensitive to moisture fluctuations. The lacustrine sediments they preserve represent good records of hydroclimate variability, which in this region are interesting because they can give a valuable paleoclimatologic background for the analysis of human – environment interactions during important cultural transitions such as the Classic to Postclassic. Dry climatic conditions during the late-Classic (AD 600 to 900) have been associated to cultural demise around AD 900 – 1000, well documented around the Maya-area. We present results from four multiproxy records that included biologic and geochemical data. The sites are located across central-Mesoamerica, from the eastern-lowlands of the Gulf of Mexico (Lago Verde), across the central highlands (S.Cruz Atizapán and Coatetelco), and western-lowlands near the Pacific (Santa María del Oro). A series of dry events were marked by low titanium and changes in biological associations that pointed to shallower lake conditions. Dry conditions were present at all the sites during the Late Classic (AD 700 to 1000), giving a wider regional perspective of generally drier climates over most of Mesoamerica during this transition time.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• The Classic-Postclassic Transition in Oaxaca

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 50916