The ancient agricultural landscape of the satellite settlement of Ramonal near Tikal, Guatemala

Burnett, Richard L.; Terry, Richard E.; Álvarez, María Inés Fernández; Balzotti, Christopher S.; Murtha, Timothy; Webster, David; Silverstein, Jay

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2011.03.002

Cited by 17 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…An estimate of

ϕ_{H}

can be obtained from the average soil depth and the average root depth of the plant being cultivated, and by multiplying this with the soil's porosity to obtain the water content. Estimates of topsoil depth in the Tikal region vary between 15 and more than 100 cm, with an average depth of 51 cm [ Burnett et al ., ]. A porosity of 0.25 (min.…”

Section: Results: the Collapse Of The Mayamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conceptualizing socio‐hydrological drought processes: The case of the Maya collapse

Kuil

Carr

Viglione

et al. 2016

Water Resources Research

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With population growth, increasing water demands and climate change the need to understand the current and future pathways to water security is becoming more pressing. To contribute to addressing this challenge, we examine the link between water stress and society through socio‐hydrological modeling. We conceptualize the interactions between an agricultural society with its environment in a stylized way. We apply the model to the case of the ancient Maya, a population that experienced a peak during the Classic Period (AD 600–830) and then declined during the ninth century. The hypothesis that modest drought periods played a major role in the society's collapse is explored. Simulating plausible feedbacks between water and society we show that a modest reduction in rainfall may lead to an 80% population collapse. Population density and crop sensitivity to droughts, however, may play an equally important role. The simulations indicate that construction of reservoirs results in less frequent drought impacts, but if the reservoirs run dry, drought impact may be more severe and the population drop may be larger.

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“…An estimate of

ϕ_{H}

Section: Results: the Collapse Of The Mayamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Assuming a sand/clay mixture in accordance with the observations of Burnett et al . [],

ϕ_{H}

has been set to 195 mm. The value of 0.04 of γ N implies that, if no further inflows or outflows occur, the reservoir loses almost 40% of its water annually due to evaporation.…”

Section: Results: the Collapse Of The Mayamentioning

confidence: 99%

Conceptualizing socio‐hydrological drought processes: The case of the Maya collapse

Kuil

Carr

Viglione

et al. 2016

Water Resources Research

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“…One way to delineate probable areas of ancient agriculture is through carbon isotopic ratios ( 13 C/ 12 C), and several studies have used these at other sites in the Maya lowlands Beach, Luzzadder-Beach, Cook, et al 2015;Beach, Luzzadder-Beach, guderjan, and Krause 2015;Burnett et al 2012aBurnett et al , 2012bFernández et al 2002;Fernández et al 2005;Lane et al 2008;Webb et al 2004Webb et al , 2007Wright et al 2009). Ancient long-term maize cultivation leaves a distinct isotopic signature in the SOM.…”

Section: Carbon Isotopesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient Maya Commerce : Multidisciplinary Research at Chunchucmil

Hutson¹

2017

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“…One way to delineate probable areas of ancient agriculture is through carbon isotopic ratios ( 13 C/ 12 C), and several studies have used these at other sites in the Maya lowlands (Beach et al 2011;Beach, Luzzadder-Beach, Cook, et al 2015;Beach, Luzzadder-Beach, guderjan, and Krause 2015;Burnett et al 2012aBurnett et al , 2012bFernández et al 2002;Fernández et al 2005;Lane et al 2008;Webb et al 2004Webb et al , 2007Wright et al 2009). Ancient long-term maize cultivation leaves a distinct isotopic signature in the SOM.…”

Section: Carbon Isotopesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient Maya Commerce: Multidisciplinary Research at Chunchucmil

2017

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It seems that research at Chunchucmil began only yesterday, but it actually goes back more than forty years. The first anthropologist to visit the ruins of Chunchucmil was Salvador Rodríguez Losa, in the early to mid-1970s. At the time he was the director of the Escuela de Ciencias Antropológicas of the University of Yucatán, and he showed his sketch map of the site to Silvia garza Tarazona de gonzález, Edward Kurjack, and David vlcek (vlcek, garza Tarazona de gonzález, and Kurjack 1978:223). garza Tarazona de gonzález and Kurjack were then directing the project "Atlas Arqueológico del Estado de Yucatán, " and vlcek was conducting surveys for the project. This was a state-wide archaeological survey conducted from 1974 until 1980, when garza Tarazona de gonzález and Kurjack published a compilation of the survey data in two volumes of text and maps. Several airphotos and a preliminary airphoto-based map of Chunchucmil were included in volume 1 (garza Tarazona de gonzález and Kurjack 1980:31-35, figures 7-10). As an urban center, Chunchucmil was considered one of the most important "finds" of the Atlas project, and is discussed in several sections of volume 1.After examining air photos of the site, vlcek and Kurjack visited Chunchucmil in 1975, and quickly realized its importance as a dense urban settlement. They asked Norberto gonzález, then director of the Centro Regional del Sureste of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, if he would support a mapping project, which he did. The purpose of the project was to obtain a detailed map of a residential sector of the city, which included the foundations of houses and other A NDR EWSxiv An enormous variety of people and institutions helped the Pakbeh Regional Economy Program (PREP) conduct the research discussed in this book. The authors of the chapters extend sincere thanks to all. In Yucatán, the research took place on lands that pertain to five ejidos-Kochol, Chunchucmil, San Mateo, Santo Domingo, and Coahuila-and to a landowner from the town of Halacho. The people from these ejidos who gave us the most help are Maestro gualberto Tzuc Mena (Chunchucmil), Rosalino Camal (Chunchucmil), Esteban Uh (Chunchucmil),

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The ancient agricultural landscape of the satellite settlement of Ramonal near Tikal, Guatemala

Cited by 17 publications

References 62 publications

Conceptualizing socio‐hydrological drought processes: The case of the Maya collapse

Conceptualizing socio‐hydrological drought processes: The case of the Maya collapse

Ancient Maya Commerce : Multidisciplinary Research at Chunchucmil

Ancient Maya Commerce: Multidisciplinary Research at Chunchucmil

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