DOCSLIB.ORG

Agricultural Rhythms and Rituals: Ancient Maya Solar Observation in Hinterland Blue Creek, Northwestern Belize Author(S): Gregory Zaro and Jon C

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Agricultural Rhythms and Rituals: Ancient Maya Solar Observation in Hinterland Blue Creek, Northwestern Belize Author(S): Gregory Zaro and Jon C Society for American Archaeology Agricultural Rhythms and Rituals: Ancient Maya Solar Observation in Hinterland Blue Creek, Northwestern Belize Author(s): Gregory Zaro and Jon C. Lohse Source: Latin American Antiquity, Vol. 16, No. 1 (Mar., 2005), pp. 81-98 Published by: Society for American Archaeology Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30042487 Accessed: 08/01/2009 13:23 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=sam. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1995 to build trusted digital archives for scholarship. We work with the scholarly community to preserve their work and the materials they rely upon, and to build a common research platform that promotes the discovery and use of these resources. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Society for American Archaeology is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Latin American Antiquity. http://www.jstor.org REPORT AGRICULTURAL RHYTHMS AND RITUALS: ANCIENT MAYA SOLAR OBSERVATIONIN HINTERLAND BLUE CREEK,NORTHWESTERN BELIZE GregoryZaro and Jon C. Lohse Agriculturein prehispanic Mesoamerica necessitated not only a wide range of knowledge regardingsoil types,fertility, and the growing cycles of differentplants, but also the attendant rituals thatfirmly situated agrarian production into a shared Mesoamerican worldview.Due primarily to archaeological visibility, those attendant rituals have traditionallybeen inves- tigated within the context of large centers. Recent investigationsat the site of Quincunx,a hinterlandarchitectural complex in northwesternBelize of the Maya Lowlands, provide evidence that some rural communitiesmay also have had access to and control over esoteric knowledgeinvolved in agriculturalpractice in the Late Classic period. Ourfindings are discussed in the context of ethnographicaccounts and archaeological data that reveal the deep significance of quincuncial designs in Maya society and Mesoamerican ritual practices. La agriculturaen Mesoamdricaprehispdnica no necesitaba solamente el conocimientode los tipos de suelo, la fertilidad, y los ciclos de crecimiento,sino tambidnlos ritualesacompaiiados que establecieronla produccic'nagricola en una cosmovisidn comutnentre los mesoamericanos.Principalmente por su visibilidaden el registroarqueolcdgico, las investigacionessobre esos rituales se han restringuidoa los centros mds grandes de los mayas. Investigacionesrecientes del sitio de Quincunx,un com- plejo arquitectdnicoen el campodel noroeste de Belice, presentanevidencia que algunas comunidadesrurales pudieran tener acceso y control sobre el conocimientoesotdrico con respectoa la agriculturadurante el periodo Cldsico Tardio.Parece que era importanteen varios niveles la ubicacidny configuracidnUtnica del complejo de Quincunxa los poblados circundantes. Su plano arquitect6nicode cinco estructurascon infasis en intercardinalidadimita las concepciones del cosmos que existen entremuchas comunidades actuales e hist6ricas de los mayas. Se discuten nuestrasconclusiones dentrodel contextode cuen- tos etnogrdficosy datos arqueol6gicosque revelanel significadoprofundo de los disefios quincuncialesen la sociedad maya. successful, sustainedagricultural production Monaghan 1990; Scarborough1998; Schele and in prehispanicMesoamerica necessitated a Freidel 1990; Vogt 1969), and the ability to track wide range of knowledge regarding soil seasonalchange through the movementsof celes- types, fertility,regulation of moisturelevels, and tial bodies acrossthe sky (Aveni 1981; Coe 1975; the growingcycles andrequirements of manysub- Freidelet al. 1993; Sprajc2000). sistence and economic crops.Yet, the component In the absence of glyphic or iconographicevi- of ancient agriculturalbehavior that is probably dence, indicationsof these behaviorscan be diffi- least understoodby archaeologistsinvolves the cult to detect.However, recent investigations at the attendantrituals that were deeply embeddedin a Quincunxsite, a LateClassic architectural complex worldviewfocused to a very large degree on the in northwesternBelize (Figure 1), providessome cosmos, markingthe cyclicalpassage of time, and evidencethat rural farmers may havepracticed rit- definingthe role of living people in relationto the uals and conductedsolar observationsassociated supernatural.Elements of agriculturalritual that with hinterlandagricultural production-that is, stand out in particularin Mesoamerica include productionremoved from any site center and its aspectsof sacrificeand ritual performance related immediatepolitical and economic influence.The to fertility and water management(Joyce 2000; Quincunxarchitectural complex is situatedapprox- Gregory Zaro 0 Departmentof Anthropology,University of New Mexico, Albuquerque,NM 87131 ([email protected]) Jon C. Lohse 0 Texas Archeological ResearchLaboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, PRC, Building 5, Austin, TX 78712 ([email protected]) LatinAmerican Antiquity, 16(1), 2005, pp. 81-98 Copyright@2005 by the Society for AmericanArchaeology 81 82 LATINAMERICAN ANTIQUITY [Vol. 16, No. 1, 2005] Mexico Ixno'ha Belize Bedrock Rosita BlueCreek Belize Quincunx Group Kakabish LaMilpa Gran Rio Maax Cacao Azul Na Lamanai Kinal Dos Hombres Guatemala 0 5 10 20 30 40 kilometers "-- I A archaeologicalsite ---- politicalboundary -- waterway Figure 1. Northwestern Belize with location of Quincunx group in relation to nearby site centers. imately 2.5 km south-southwestof the Maya cen- of the surveyedarea). In additionto these scattered ter of Blue Creek, in uplandterrain within 500 m residential remains, numerous terraces, berms, of the Rio Bravo escarpment.Unlike commonly modifieddepressions, and other soil andwater con- encountered Maya residential patio and house trolfeatures associated with hinterland agricultural groups,this complex consistsof a centralmasonry productionsurround Quincunx; no administrative room block and four low, broad, circularcobble centersof any size or buildingsthat appear to have platforms positioned in intercardinaldirections functioned in anything other than a residential (i.e., to the northwest, northeast,southeast, and capacitywere located.Given its hinterlandcontext southwest).Each of the outlyingcobble platforms among scatteredsmall-scale residentialremains is located approximately20 m from the central andpresumed agricultural landscape modifications, building,though they arenot equidistantfrom each it seems unlikelythat Quincunx was administered other,creating an asymmetricallayout (Figure2). by anyone otherthan the occupantsof this hinter- Surveyduring the 2001 and 2002 seasons demon- land zone. stratedthat this group is surroundedby light to Research suggests that the site was designed moderatelydense but generallysmall-scale settle- andconstructed to fulfill severalintimately related ment for at least 500 m in all directions(the limit purposesin the contextof hinterlandagrarian pro- REPORTS 83 The QuincunxGroup, Northwestern Belize Structure3 Structure4 Structure1 Post hole ChuRun Large stone Structure2 Structure5 40 meters Mappingdata collected by Greg Zaro, Ashley Smallwood, Jason Gonzalez, David Driver, and Kristen Gardella. CartographybyGreg Zaro and Jon C. Lohse.Courtesy of BlueCreek Regional Political Ecology Project. Figure 2. Plan of the Quincunx group after excavation. Map is oriented to magnetic north, 2' east of true north. duction.These includedmonitoring movements of sight lines denotingimportant events. The results the sunacross the sky throughoutthe yearin accor- of our investigationsbear potentiallysignificant dance with a solar-based agriculturalcalendar, implicationsfor how archaeologistsview the man- while also serving as a representationof the cos- ner in which ancient belief systems were called mos in miniature.Our multiple lines of supporting uponto providemeaning not only forpeople's rela- evidence derive from (1) Mesoamericanethno- tionships with the supernatural,but also for their graphic and ethnohistoricaccounts and, specifi- positions in society and for the administrationof cally, Maya ritual behaviorassociated with solar importantcelestial knowledge required for the tim- astronomy and agriculturalproduction; (2) the ing of successful food production. peculiar, five-part(quincuncial) configuration of the site's architectural and actualsolar design; (3) Cosmological and Agricultural Significance observationsat the site the summersolstice during of Quincunx Designs on June21, evaluatedin thecontext of architectural elements and featuresthat appearto have marked The architecturalplan of Quincunxconsists of five 84 LATINAMERICAN ANTIQUITY [Vol.16, No. 1,2005] East East North South North- South Center West West Cardinal places in quincuncial layout Cardinaldirections with indexical center Figure 3. Different conceptualizations of cardinal directions
Load more

Recommended publications
  • COMPENDIO DE LEYES SOBRE LA PROTECCIÓN DEL PATRIMONIO CULTURAL GUATEMALTECO Título: COMPENDIO DE LEYES SOBRE LA PROTECCIÓN DEL PATRIMONIO CULTURAL GUATEMALTECO
    COMPENDIO DE LEYES SOBRE LA PROTECCIÓN DEL PATRIMONIO CULTURAL GUATEMALTECO Título: COMPENDIO DE LEYES SOBRE LA PROTECCIÓN DEL PATRIMONIO CULTURAL GUATEMALTECO Katherine Grigsby Representante y Directora de UNESCO en Guatemala Blanca Niño Norton Coordinadora Proyecto PROMUSEUM Oscar Mora, Consultor, Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes © UNESCO, 2006 ISBN: 92-9136-082-1 La Información contenida en esta publicación puede ser utilizada siempre que se cite la fuente. COMPENDIO DE LEYES SOBRE LA PROTECCIÓN DEL PATRIMONIO CULTURAL DE GUATEMALA CULTURAL DEL PATRIMONIO COMPENDIO DE LEYES SOBRE LA PROTECCIÓN ÍNDICE Constitución Política de la República de Guatemala 7 Ley para la Protección del Patrimonio Cultural de la Nación 9 Ley Protectora de la Ciudad de la Antigua Guatemala 25 Código Penal 35 Reglamento de Funcionamiento del Parque Nacional Tikal 39 Acuerdo Ministerial sobre Protección de Kaminal Juyú 43 Acuerdo Ministerial sobre las Normas para la Protección y uso de las Áreas Adyacentes afectas al Montículo de la Culebra y Acueducto de Pinula 45 Acuerdo de Creación de Zonas y Monumentos Arqueológicos Históricos y Artísticos de los Periodos Prehispánico e Hispánico 47 Acuerdo Ministerial Número 721-2003 56 Reglamento para la Protección y Conservación del Centro Histórico y los Conjuntos Históricos de la Ciudad de Guatemala 61 Convención para la Protección del Patrimonio Mundial, Cultural y Natural 69 Convención sobre las Medidas que deben adoptarse para Prohibir e Impedir la Importación, la Exportación y la Transferencia de Propiedad Ilícita
    [Show full text]
  • Conceptualizing Prehistoric Water Scarcity in the Central Maya Lowlands: the Influence of a Critical Resource on Settlement Patterns and Political Economy
    Journal of Ecological Anthropology Volume 2 Issue 1 Volume 2, Issue 1 (1998) Article 4 1998 Conceptualizing Prehistoric Water Scarcity in the Central Maya Lowlands: The Influence of a Critical Resource on Settlement Patterns and Political Economy Rebecca K. Zarger University of Georgia, Department of Anthropology Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jea Recommended Citation Zarger, Rebecca K.. "Conceptualizing Prehistoric Water Scarcity in the Central Maya Lowlands: The Influence of a Critical Resource on Settlement Patterns and Political Economy." Journal of Ecological Anthropology 2, no. 1 (1998): 69-84. Available at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jea/vol2/iss1/4 This Research Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Anthropology at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Ecological Anthropology by an authorized editor of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 69 Georgia Journal of Ecological Anthropology Vol. 2 1998 Conceptualizing Prehistoric Water Scarcity in the Central Maya Lowlands: The Influence of a Critical Resource on Settlement Patterns and Political Economy Rebecca K. Zarger Department of Anthropology University of Georgia The dispersed settlement pattern of the Ancient Maya may have evolved in part as a consequence of the limited amount of permanent water available on the Karstic landscape (Scarborough 1996, p. 314). The Ecological Setting tory explanation for why the largest, densest and Many years of research by archaeologists, seemingly, most complex and elaborate manifes- geologists, and climatologists have resulted in a tations of human culture in the central lowlands better understanding of the ecological setting of arose in an area which was, and still is, the region’s the Yucatan Peninsula, on which the central Maya most difficult environment in which to live.
    [Show full text]
  • University of Cincinnati
    UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date:___________________ I, _________________________________________________________, hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: in: It is entitled: This work and its defense approved by: Chair: _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ Ancient Maya Water Management: Archaeological Investigations at Turtle Pond, Northwestern Belize A thesis submitted to the Division of Graduate Studies and Research of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the department of Anthropology of the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences July 2005 by Jennifer A. Chmilar B.Sc., University of Calgary, 2002 Committee: Vernon L. Scarborough, Chair Alan P. Sullivan, III Nicholas Dunning ABSTRACT Water is a critical resource for human survival. The ancient Maya, inhabiting an environment with a karstic landscape, semi-tropical climate, and a three month dry season, modified the landscape to create water catchments, drainages, and reservoirs within and surrounding settlement. Water management techniques have been demonstrated in the Maya Lowlands extending back into the Preclassic, approximately 600 BC, at sites such as El Mirador and Nakbe. Into the Classic period, 250 AD – 900 AD, water management features have taken a different form than in the Preclassic; as seen at Tikal and La Milpa. In this thesis, Turtle Pond, a reservoir located on the periphery of the core of La Milpa, is evaluated for modifications to it by the ancient Maya. Turtle Pond was a natural depression that accumulated water for at least part of the year. The ancient Maya then modified it to enhance its water holding potential.
    [Show full text]
  • Río Azul, Historia De Un Descubrimiento
    Derechos Reservados ® RÍO AZUL, HISTORIA DE UN DESCUBRIMIENTO Liwy Grazioso S. y Fred Valdez Jr. Primera Edición, 2008 Departamento de Investigaciones Antropológicas, Arqueológicas e Históricas Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes Dirección General del Patrimonio Cultural y Natural Sub Dirección de Investigaciones y Registro Portada Glifo Emblema de Río Azul Í N D I C E Introducción 5 Historia de su Descubrimiento 11 Arqueología de Salvamento, Investigación y Conservación 17 Comentarios Finales 25 Bibliografía 27 Cartas y Documentos de ICOMOS 31 Ilustraciones No. 1 Trinchera de Saqueo en el Grupo A 12 Nos. 2 y 3 Muestra del deterioro sufrido a las pinturas 20 No. 4 Detalle del muro norte de la Tumba 1 23 No. 5 Crestería del Templo A2 24 Mapas Fig. 1 Mapa de localización de Rio Azul 6 Fig. 2 Mapa del Noreste del Petén, Guatemala y Noroeste de Belice 8 Fig. 3 Planimetría de Río Azul 9 Río Azul, historia de un descubrimiento Liwy Grazioso S. y Fred Valdez Jr.1 Introducción La antigua ciudad maya de Río Azul está situada en la esquina noreste del departamento de El Petén en Guatemala, a menos de 5 km. al sur de la frontera con México y a 16 km. al oeste de la de Belice (Fig.1 y 2). Se encuentra bordeada al oeste por el río del mismo nombre, ocupa un área aproximada de 1.3 km². La parte central de medio kilómetro cuadrado es la que cuenta con la mayor concentración de edificaciones; 729 estructuras distribuidas en nueve grandes grupos (Fig.3). Tiene 39 plazas rodeadas de edificios administrativos y residenciales.
    [Show full text]
  • The 1997 Season of the Chan Chich Archaeological Project
    The 1997 Season of the Chan Chich Archaeological Project edited by Brett A. Houk Vessel 2 from Tomb 2, Chan Chich, Belize — A.M. ‘97 Chan Chich Archaeological Project Papers of the Chan Chich Archaeological Project, Number 3 Center for Maya Studies • San Antonio, Texas CCCCAAPP 1998 Chan Chich, Belize - Central America The 1997 Season of the Chan Chich Archaeological Project edited by Brett A. Houk with contributions by Owen Ford Richard Meadows Bruce Moses Hubert R. Robichaux M. Steven Shackley and Fred Valdez, Jr. Chan Chich Archaeological Project Papers of the Chan Chich Archaeological Project, Number 3 Center for Maya Studies • San Antonio, Texas CCCCAAPP 1998 Chan Chich, Belize - Central America Contents List of Figures.................................................................................................................................................... ii List of Tables .................................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................................. v An Introduction to the 1997 Season Brett A. Houk ............................................................................................................................................... 1 General Project Methodology Brett A. Houk ............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • GUATEMALA Mayan Ruins in Danger: North-East Region of Peten
    Heritage al Risk 2001/2002 GUATEMALA Mayan Ruins in Danger: North-east Region of Peten For more than 40 years, Tikal has been a source of continuous work for excavation and restoration - and it is now the principal cultural and tourist attraction for the north of the country. Since 1989. the Ministry of Culture and Sports has focused its attention on what is known as the Cultural Triangle: Yaxha. Nakum. Naran- jo, creating a new neighboring park to Tikal. During the years 300 to 900 AD. the north-east Region of Peten saw exceptional con­ struction activity with the erection of hundreds of monumental towns. Recent studies have been undertaken at 64 archaeological sites that contribute to updating the data and to a comparison of the quality and state of conservation of some of the most impor­ tant towns of the north­east of Peten. The most important causes of deterioration are neglect and aban­ donment of the ruins, the destructive actions of the tropical forest climate, and especially the destruction carried out by looters. As many as 2164 recent instances of damage caused by looting in 52 archaeological sites have been documented. There are cities like La Honradez, which registered 203 illegal excavations: another site known as Xultiin reported 241. and Naranjo reported 154 illic­ it excavations. Tunnels more than 30 metres long and trenches Xultun site (c. 800 AD) show around 20 metres heigh increase the instability of the already pre­ carious situation of the ancient constructions. The investigative report identifies 18 buildings in danger of collapse, these pyrami­ dal temples and palaces require urgent action.
    [Show full text]
  • Ian Graham and the Maya
    ThePARIJournal A quarterly publication of the Ancient Cultures Institute Volume XVIII, No. 1, Summer 2017 Ian Graham and the Maya In This Issue: DAVID STUART University of Texas at Austin Ian Graham and the Maya by David Stuart PAGES 1-8 • A Bowl Fit for a King: A Ceramic Vessel of the Naranjo Court Bearing the Komkom Emblem Glyph by Christophe Helmke Yuriy Polyukhovych Dorie J. Reents-Budet and Ronald L. Bishop PAGES 9-24 Marc Zender Editor [email protected] Joel Skidmore Associate Editor [email protected] The PARI Journal 202 Edgewood Avenue San Francisco, CA 94117 415-664-8889 [email protected] Electronic version available at: www.precolumbia.org/ Figure 1. Ian Graham, ca. 1975 (photo: Hillel Burger). pari/journal/1801 Ian Graham passed away at age 93 on that Ian’s legacy will forever stand at least ISSN 1531-5398 August 1, 2017, at the close of an extraor- equal to those of Alfred Maudslay (his dinary and varied life. All future histories fellow Englishman and personal hero), of Mesoamerican studies will highlight his Teobert Maler, Sylvanus Morley, and other unique contributions as an explorer, pres- famous explorers from the early years of ervationist, and documentarian of Maya Maya studies. ruins and art. It is no exaggeration to say Ian James Graham was born on The PARI Journal 18(1):1-8 © 2017 Ancient Cultures Institute 1 Stuart Ian Graham and the Maya November 12, 1923, at Chantry Farm, Campsey Ash, remote parts of Chiapas. “How could it be that I had Suffolk, to two aristocratic parents.
    [Show full text]
  • Cómo Citar El Artículo Número Completo Más Información Del
    Estudios de cultura maya ISSN: 0185-2574 UNAM, Instituto de Investigaciones Filológicas Quintana Samayoa, Oscar Antonio; Siller Camacho, Juan Antonio Condición actual en la Reserva de la Biósfera Maya, tradición y reelaboración para una visión integrada de patrimonio mixto1 Estudios de cultura maya, vol. LVI, 2020, pp. 153-176 UNAM, Instituto de Investigaciones Filológicas DOI: https://doi.org/10.19130/iifl.ecm.2020.56.2.0006 Disponible en: https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=281364930006 Cómo citar el artículo Número completo Sistema de Información Científica Redalyc Más información del artículo Red de Revistas Científicas de América Latina y el Caribe, España y Portugal Página de la revista en redalyc.org Proyecto académico sin fines de lucro, desarrollado bajo la iniciativa de acceso abierto ESTUDIOS DE CULTURA MAYA LVI: 153-176 (OTOÑO-INVIERNO 2020) Condición actual en la Reserva de la Biósfera Maya, tradición y reelaboración para una visión integrada de patrimonio mixto1 Current Condition in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, Tradition and Reelaboration for an Integrated View of Mixed Heritage OSCAR ANTONIO QUINTANA SAMAYOA Facultad de Arquitectura, Universidad de San Carlos, Guatemala JUAN ANTONIO SILLER CAMACHO Seminario de Arquitectura Prehispánica, Facultad de Arquitectura, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México RESUMEN: Con el objetivo de estudiar sus condiciones, desde 1987 los autores han monitoreado los edificios prehispánicos ubicados en la Reserva de la Biósfera Maya (RBM) de Petén, Guatemala; también han dado seguimiento a áreas protegidas veci- nas, como la Reserva de la Biósfera de Calakmul, en Campeche, México, y otras. Esta región de las tierras bajas centrales es conocida ahora por poseer un patrimonio doble: cultural y natural.
    [Show full text]
  • Chan Chich Archaeological Project
    FAMSI © 2007: Brett A. Houk Chan Chich Archaeological Project Research Year : 1997 Culture : Maya Chronology : Protoclassic Location : Orange Walk District, Belize Site : Chan Chich Table of Contents Introduction Background Forest Types at Chan Chich Previous Investigations Results of the 1996 Season Project Ressearch Design Long Term Research Objectives General Excavation Goals 1997 Research Objectives Excavation of a Protoclassic Tomb Suboperations A, C–G, I, and J Tomb 2 Contents of Tomb 2 Jade Artifacts Ceramic Vessels Possible Codex Fragment Paint or Stucco Problematic Serpent-Shaped Object Summary References Cited Submitted 01/01/1999 by : Brett A. Houk Texas Tech University [email protected] Report on the Chan Chich Archaeological Project: 1997 Extended Season April 1998 Report submitted to the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc. Project Number 97004 Brett A. Houk Chan Chich Archaeological Project CCCCAAPP Chan Chich, Belize - Central America Figures Figure 1. Location of Chan Chich in the Three Rivers Region. .......................................................................... 2 Figure 2. Looking west from the top of Structure A-1 at the La Lucha Escarpment. ......................................... 4 Figure 3. Looter’s trench in the west face of Structure A-15 at Chan Chich. .....................................................6 Figure 4. Map of Chan Chich site center. ............................................................................................................ 7 Figure 5. Distribution
    [Show full text]
  • The PARI Journal Vol. XIII, No. 1
    ThePARIJournal A quarterly publication of the Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute VolumeXIII, No. 1, Summer 2012 The Great Ladder of Ocosingo: In This Issue: ATwentieth-Century Example of The Great Ladder of Ocosingo: A Maya Building Techniques Twentieth-Century Example of Maya JESPER NIELSEN Building Techniques University of Copenhagen by In early 1841 John L. Stephens and and eighty feet long, and about twelve Jesper Nielsen Frederick Catherwood, while on the sec- feet wide, made of the rough trunks of PAGES 1-9 ond of their two famous journeys in the saplings lashed together lengthwise, • Maya area, stopped at the settlement of and supported all the way down Bolonchen in northern Campeche. During by horizontal trunks braced against Toward the Making the visit Stephens made a trip to the fa- the face of the precipitous rock. The of a New Map of the mous cenote situated south of the village ladder was double, having two sets or Ixcanrio Basin and wrote a detailed account (Stephens flights of rounds, divided by a middle partition, and the whole fabric was by 1843:2:137-156). In order to access the lashed together by withes (1843:2:148, Thomas G. Garrison water table via the cenote, referred to as and see plate facing p. 148). William A. Saturno Xtacumbi Xunan by the local Yukatek Thomas L. Sever Maya, several imposing ladder-like According to Stephens the ladder was and constructions had been built, and these insecure, dry, and cracked, and some of Daniel E. Irwin clearly made a lasting impression on the the withes were broken.
    [Show full text]
  • Plan Maestro 2009-2013 Del Parque Nacional Mirador Río Azul Y
    PPllaann MMaaeessttrroo 22000099--22001133 PPaarrqquuee NNaacciioonnaall MMiirraaddoorr--RRííoo AAzzuull yy BBiioottooppoo PPrrootteeggiiddoo NNaaaacchhttuunn--DDooss LLaagguunnaass Plan Maestro 2009-2013 PN Mirador-Río Azul y Biotopo Protegido Naachtún-Dos Lagunas Plan Maestro 2009-2013 Parque Nacional Mirador-Río Azul y Biotopo Protegido Naachtun-Dos Lagunas Consejo Nacional de Areas Protegidas (CONAP) Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes-Dirección General del Patrimonio Cultural y Natural (DGPCyN) Centro de Estudios Conservacionistas (CECON), Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala Instituciones Participantes en la Elaboración del Plan: 1era Brigada de Infantería, de Santa Elena Petén; Asociación de Comunidades Forestales de Petén, ACOFOP; Asociación de Amigos para la Protección del Patrimonio Cultural y Natural, APANAC; Árbol Verde (Concesión Comunitaria Las Ventanas); Asociación para el Rescate y Conservación de Vida Silvestre, ARCAS; Asociación Balam; Baren Comercial (Concesión Industrial La Gloria); Centro de Monitoreo y Evaluación, CEMEC-CONAP; Cooperativa de Carmelita; Comunidad de Carmelita; Comunidad de Uaxactún; Conservación Internacional, CI; Counterpart, CPI; Custodios de la Selva (Concesión Comunitaria Río Chanchich); U.S. Department of the Interior, DOI; Foundation for Anthropological Research & Environmental Studies, FARES; Facultad de Agronomía de la Universidad de San Carlos, FAUSAC; Fiscalía de Delitos Contra el Ambiente; Fiscalía de Delitos Contra el Patrimonio Cultural; Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, FLACSO;
    [Show full text]
  • Ancient Maya Impacts on the Earth's Surface: an Early Anthropocene Analog?
    Quaternary Science Reviews 124 (2015) 1e30 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Quaternary Science Reviews journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/quascirev Invited review Ancient Maya impacts on the Earth's surface: An Early Anthropocene analog? * Tim Beach a, , Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach a, Duncan Cook b, Nicholas Dunning c, Douglas J. Kennett d, Samantha Krause a, Richard Terry e, Debora Trein f, Fred Valdez f a University of Texas-Austin, Department of Geography and the Environment, United States b Australian Catholic University, Australia c University of Cincinnati, Department of Geography, United States d Pennsylvania State University, Department of Anthropology, United States e Brigham Young University, United States f University of Texas-Austin, Department of Anthropology, United States article info abstract Article history: The measure of the “Mayacene,” a microcosm of the Early Anthropocene that occurred from c.3000to Received 2 January 2015 1000 BP, comes from multiple Late Quaternary paleoenvironmental records. We synthesized the evi- Received in revised form dence for Maya impacts on climate, vegetation, hydrology and the lithosphere, from studies of soils, 18 May 2015 lakes, floodplains, wetlands and other ecosystems. Maya civilization had likely altered local to regional Accepted 28 May 2015 ecosystems and hydrology by the Preclassic Period (3000-1700 BP), but these impacts waned by 1000 BP. Available online 30 June 2015 They altered ecosystems with vast urban and rural infrastructure that included thousands of reservoirs, wetland fields and canals, terraces, field ridges, and temples. Although there is abundant evidence that Keywords: Early Anthropocene indicates the Maya altered their forests, even at the large urban complex of Tikal as much as 40% of the fl Mayacene forest remained intact through the Classic period.
    [Show full text]