The Landscape Succession Project uses the ancient Maya as a case study for how a culture's perception of its landscape(s) changes through time. We seek to understand the cultural historical developments and shifting landscape perspectives of the sites of El Palmar, Bejucal, and El Zotz by integrating archaeological, environmental, and epigraphic data in a conjunctive approach. Our hypothesis is that as these sites succeeded each other as dominant powers, the view of the landscape gradually changed from one of rich resources and subsistence opportunities to a complex geopolitical situation requiring sophisticated settlement strategies to survive burgeoning populations, shrinking territories, and aggressive neighbors.
This project is a regional extension of the Proyecto Arqueológico de El Zotz, directed by Stephen Houston. Our first full field season will begin in 2009. This wiki gives details of our project and is in constant development. It is designed to be informative to the public and professionals alike. Please feel free to post any comments to the wiki or send an email to Thomas Garrison.
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The material below is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0840930.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Page author: Thomas G. Garrison
Informe 2009 El Zotz.pdf