Climate change, ecological trajectory and social innovations in the tropical forests of the Maya highland-lowland interface: paleoenvironmental research of the Raxruha-Cancuén archaeological project

Description

At the transition between the Maya lowlands and the highlands, the northern Alta Verapaz experimented major population movements following the abandonment of several cities as early as the 8th century onwards. This marked the start of what was referred to as the "Maya collapse", which would later extend to the entire lowlands until the 13th century. As this region is currently the wettest in the Maya area, its particular history complicates the common parallel between deforestation, drought and the abandonment of Maya cities at the end of the Classic period (AD 250-950). Moreover, several archaeological data converge on the fact that highland cities show a longer occupation than lowland ones, suggesting population movements towards the mountains following the abandonment of lowland cities. As part of the regional Raxruha-Cancuén archaeological project (MEAE, CNRS, Vanderbilt University, IDAEH), new paleoenvironmental research combines the excavation of several sites, anthracology (identification of archaeological wood charcoal) and lake paleolimnology, in order to question the role of droughts and deforestation in the early abandonment of this region. It also examines the nature of interactions between Maya societies and forests, their environmental impact and their adaptation to new ecological environments in a context of migration and societal change. This paper will present this new program, its objectives, the work that has already been completed and our research prospects.

Abstract

International audience

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