Tikal
Paleoecology of an Ancient Maya City
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
The primary theoretical question addressed in this book focuses on the lingering concern of how the ancient Maya in the northern Petén Basin were able to sustain large populations in the midst of a tropical forest environment during the Late Classic period. This book asks how agricultural intensification was achieved and how essential resources, such as water and forest products, were managed in both upland areas and seasonal wetlands, or bajos. All of these activities were essential components of an initially sustainable land use strategy that eventually failed to meet the demands of an escalating population. This spiraling disconnect with sound ecological principles undoubtedly contributed to the Maya collapse. The book's findings provide insights that broaden the understanding of the rise of social complexity - the expansion of the political economy, specifically - and, in general terms, the trajectory of cultural evolution of the ancient Maya civilization.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Half-title
- Title page
- Copyright information
- Table of contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of contributors
- List of contributors
- Foreword
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Tikal Land, Water, and Forest:
- 2 The Evolution of an Ancient Waterworks System at Tikal
- 3 At the Core of Tikal: Terrestrial Sediment Sampling and Water Management
- 4 Bringing the University of Pennsylvania Maps of Tikal into the Era of Electronic GIS
- 5 Examining Landscape Modifications for Water Management at Tikal Using Three-Dimensional Modeling with ArcGIS
- 6 Life on the Edge: Tikal in a Bajo Landscape
- 7 Connecting Contemporary Ecology and Ethnobotany to Ancient Plant Use Practices of the Maya at Tikal
- 8 Agroforestry and Agricultural Practices of the Ancient Maya at Tikal
- 9 Fire and Water: The Archaeological Significance of Tikal’s Quaternary Sediments
- 10 Fractious Farmers at Tikal
- 11 Material Culture of Tikal
- 12 A Neighborly View: Water and Environmental History of the El Zotz Region
- 13 Defining the Constructed Niche of Tikal: A Summary View
- References
- Index