Landscape, Settlement Patterns, and Agrarian Strategies: The Case of Naachtun and its Hinterland During the Preclassic and the Classic Periods

The Naachtun archaeological project started in 2010 with the aim of understanding the sociopolitical and economic history of one of the few Maya Classic capitals located in Northern Peten. Since 2013 a paleo-environmental team carried out a program of investigation to study the landuse and the management of local resources during the last three millennium, both in the urban area of Naachtun and in the main inundated depression area (bajo), north of the city. In this presentation, using archaeological and environmental data derived from excavations contexts, combined with Lidar data obtained from a coverage of 135km² which encompasses the Naachtun hinterland area, we will draw up an overview of the agrarian practices and strategies developed since the Preclassic times until the abandonment of the core zone at the end of the Terminal Classic period (circa. 950/1000 CE). We will show in particular the diversity of the agrarian techniques used according to different geomorphological and pedagogical contexts.