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Category Archives: research
Modern Belize: Development Among the Descendants of the Ancient Maya
It has been a most eye-opening, inspiring, and rewarding experience to visit Belize. For many of us, this was the first time visiting this beautiful and diverse country in Central America. Prior to the trip, we had had a week … Continue reading
Posted in experiential, research
Tagged belize, development, economics, juliana, maya, policy, professor, toledo, transportation
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Seismic data as a record of past erosion
Sediment layers are a useful tool for reconstructing ancient land use. They act as a record of soil movement and deposition, from which human activities may be inferred. In a 2007 study of ancient Maya deforestation, Anselmetti et al. use … Continue reading
Lacustrine Time Machine Investigates the Duration of Mayan Civilization in Petén, Guatemala
Scientists have discovered a time machine that allows them to analyze records of environmental change to particular land areas subsequent to the duration of Mayan civilization. It’s not an actual device that physically transports them back in time but actually … Continue reading
Posted in research
Tagged climate change, geochemistry, geology, maya, paleoclimate, sediments
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Disease & Population Loss in Mesoamerica
As is widely known, the Mayan people saw a significant loss in population starting around AD 770. There is no conclusive evidence indicating one specific cause of this collapse; most likely, it was a combination of several contributing factors. Centuries … Continue reading
Self-Inflicted Wounds
In order to thoroughly understand societal collapse, it is important to explore the idea that, often times, the “nail in the coffin” for many societies is a bad decision, or collection of bad decisions, that the society itself makes. Joseph … Continue reading
Using proxies to measure rainfall
Dr. Gregory Haug and colleagues raised a question: “does climate make history?” in their 2003 paper they presented scientific evidence that supported the theory that drought due to climate change caused the collapse of the Maya civilization. Unexpectedly, everyone has … Continue reading
Cacao and the Ancient Maya
As the class prepares to visit a cacao farm tomorrow to better acquaint ourselves with Mayan culture, a staple worth some serious discussion is the cacao seed. That being said, disregard any impulsive image of the ancient Maya as living … Continue reading
Underground Evidence for Maya Collapse
The Maya, a Mesoamerican society considered the most advanced Native American civilization of its time, began a complex development around 2000 B.C. Divided into two main periods, Preclassic and Classic, the Mayans underwent a relatively abrupt collapse between 750-900 A.D., … Continue reading
Causes of the Mayan Collapse
The Maya civilization lasted from around 2000 B.C. until the arrival of the Spanish to Mesoamerica in the 16th century. It extended throughout the northern part of Central America, including all of present-day Guatemala and Belize as well as parts … Continue reading
Posted in research
Tagged archaeology, central america, collapse, history, jared diamond, maya
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