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In tropical latitudes, phytoliths represent an important indicator of the paleoenvironmental reconstitutions. Yet, they are still modestly used in past environments studies of Mayan Lowlands, despite the low potential of other vegetation bioindicators. It is in this context, and through the rich sedimentary archives of the Naachtun archaeological site and its surroundings, that we propose a new approach to exploit the inherent advantages of these siliceous microfossils for the study of past environments. Located in the extreme north of Guatemala in the subtropical Petén forest, the territory of Naachtun has been the subject of archaeological and geoarchaeological research since 2010. With its geographical location in the middle of the major Mayan political centers, this site represents a crucial space in the evaluation of the interactions between Mayan societies and the environment over the last 4 millennia, the main issue of this doctoral dissertation. To answer this question, two methodological axes have been privileged. The first axis concerns an actualist approach and aims to calibrate modern phytolith assemblages about the current natural and anthropogenic ecosystems of Naachtun and its region. The second axis, palaeoenvironmental, aims to use fossil phytolith assemblages recorded in off-site contexts, in the bajo palustrine sediments, and intra-site, to propose a reconstruction of the socio-environmental history of Naachtun. This thesis research demonstrates the potential of this new tool for the approach of palaeoenvironments in the Mayan lowlands, but it also provides new knowledge on the use of wetlands by Mayan populations. More broadly, this work is part of the current construction of an imaginary of Mayan societies conscious of their environment and adapted to its changes, a counter-example to our modern problems and crises. ; En las latitudes tropicales, los fitolitos representan un indicador esencial en la reconstitución de paleoambientes. Sin embargo, todavía se utilizan modestamente en estudios ...

In tropical latitudes, phytoliths represent an important indicator of the paleoenvironmental reconstitutions. Yet, they are still modestly used in past environments studies of Mayan Lowlands, despite the low potential of other vegetation bioindicators. It is in this context, and through the rich sedimentary archives of the Naachtun archaeological site and its surroundings, that we propose a new approach to exploit the inherent advantages of these siliceous microfossils for the study of past environments. Located in the extreme north of Guatemala in the subtropical Petén forest, the territory of Naachtun has been the subject of archaeological and geoarchaeological research since 2010. With its geographical location in the middle of the major Mayan political centers, this site represents a crucial space in the evaluation of the interactions between Mayan societies and the environment over the last 4 millennia, the main issue of this doctoral dissertation. To answer this question, two methodological axes have been privileged. The first axis concerns an actualist approach and aims to calibrate modern phytolith assemblages about the current natural and anthropogenic ecosystems of Naachtun and its region. The second axis, palaeoenvironmental, aims to use fossil phytolith assemblages recorded in off-site contexts, in the bajo palustrine sediments, and intra-site, to propose a reconstruction of the socio-environmental history of Naachtun. This thesis research demonstrates the potential of this new tool for the approach of palaeoenvironments in the Mayan lowlands, but it also provides new knowledge on the use of wetlands by Mayan populations. More broadly, this work is part of the current construction of an imaginary of Mayan societies conscious of their environment and adapted to its changes, a counter-example to our modern problems and crises. ; En las latitudes tropicales, los fitolitos representan un indicador esencial en la reconstitución de paleoambientes. Sin embargo, todavía se utilizan modestamente en estudios de ambientes pasados en las Tierras Bajas Mayas, a pesar del bajo potencial de otros bioindicadores de vegetación. Es en este contexto, y a través de los ricos archivos sedimentarios del sitio arqueológico de Naachtun y sus alrededores, que proponemos un nuevo enfoque para explotar las ventajas inherentes de estos microfósiles silíceos para el estudio de los ambientes del pasado. Ubicado en el extremo norte de Guatemala en el bosque subtropical del Petén, el territorio de Naachtun ha sido objeto de investigaciones arqueológicas y geoarqueológicas desde 2010. Por su situación geográfica en las tierras bajas y su proximidad a los principales centros políticos mayas, este sitio representa un espacio crucial en la evaluación de las interacciones entre las sociedades mayas y el medio ambiente durante los últimos 4 milenios, el tema principal de este trabajo de doctorado. Para responder a esta pregunta se han privilegiado dos ejes metodológicos. El primer eje se refiere a un enfoque de actualismo y tiene como objetivo calibrar los ensamblajes de fitolitos modernos en relación con los actuales ecosistemas naturales y antropogénicos de Naachtun y su región. El segundo eje, paleoambiental, tiene como objetivo utilizar los ensamblajes de fitolitos fósiles registrados en contextos fuera del sitio, en los sedimentos palustres de bajo, y dentro del sitio, para proponer una reconstrucción de la historia socio-ambiental de Naachtun. Este trabajo de tesis demuestra el potencial de esta nueva herramienta para el abordaje de paleoambientes en las tierras bajas mayas, pero también aporta nuevos conocimientos sobre el uso de los humedales por parte de las poblaciones mayas. En términos más generales, este trabajo se inscribe en la construcción actual de un imaginario de sociedades mayas conscientes de su entorno y adaptadas a sus cambios, un contraejemplo a nuestros problemas y crisis actuales. ; Sous les latitudes tropicales, les phytolithes représentent un indicateur clé dans la reconstitution des paléoenvironnements. Pourtant, ils sont encore modestement utilisés dans les études sur les environnements passés des basses-terres mayas, et ce, en dépit du faible potentiel des autres bioindicateurs de la végétation. C'est dans ce contexte et au travers des riches archives sédimentaires du site archéologique de Naachtun et de ses alentours, que nous proposons une nouvelle approche permettant d'exploiter les avantages inhérents à ces microfossiles siliceux, pour l'étude des environnements passés. Situé à l'extrême nord du Guatemala dans la forêt subtropicale du Petén, le territoire de Naachtun fait l'objet de recherches archéologiques et géoarchéologiques depuis 2010. Par sa localisation géographique au sein des basses-terres et sa proximité aux grands centres politiques mayas, ce site représente un espace clé dans l'évaluation des interactions entre les sociétés mayas et l'environnement au cours des 4 derniers millénaires, problématique principale de ce travail doctoral. Afin d'y répondre, deux axes méthodologiques ont été privilégiés. Le premier axe concerne une démarche actualiste et a pour but de calibrer les assemblages modernes de phytolithes par rapport aux écosystèmes actuels, ''naturels'' et anthropiques, de Naachtun et de sa région. Le second axe, paléoenvironnemental, vise à utiliser les assemblages de phytolithes fossiles, enregistrés en contextes hors-site, dans les sédiments palustres de bajo, et intrasite, afin de proposer une reconstitution de l'histoire socioenvironnementale de Naachtun. Ce travail de thèse démontre le potentiel de ce nouvel outil pour l'approche des paléoenvironnements dans les basses-terres mayas mais il apporte aussi de nouvelles connaissances sur l'utilisation des zones humides par les populations mayas. Plus largement, ce travail s'insère dans la construction actuelle d'un imaginaire des sociétés mayas conscientes de leur environnement et adaptées à ses changements, contre-exemple de nos problématiques et crises modernes.

In tropical latitudes, phytoliths represent an important indicator of the paleoenvironmental reconstitutions. Yet, they are still modestly used in past environments studies of Mayan Lowlands, despite the low potential of other vegetation bioindicators. It is in this context, and through the rich sedimentary archives of the Naachtun archaeological site and its surroundings, that we propose a new approach to exploit the inherent advantages of these siliceous microfossils for the study of past environments. Located in the extreme north of Guatemala in the subtropical Petén forest, the territory of Naachtun has been the subject of archaeological and geoarchaeological research since 2010. With its geographical location in the middle of the major Mayan political centers, this site represents a crucial space in the evaluation of the interactions between Mayan societies and the environment over the last 4 millennia, the main issue of this doctoral dissertation. To answer this question, two methodological axes have been privileged. The first axis concerns an actualist approach and aims to calibrate modern phytolith assemblages about the current natural and anthropogenic ecosystems of Naachtun and its region. The second axis, palaeoenvironmental, aims to use fossil phytolith assemblages recorded in off-site contexts, in the bajo palustrine sediments, and intra-site, to propose a reconstruction of the socio-environmental history of Naachtun. This thesis research demonstrates the potential of this new tool for the approach of palaeoenvironments in the Mayan lowlands, but it also provides new knowledge on the use of wetlands by Mayan populations. More broadly, this work is part of the current construction of an imaginary of Mayan societies conscious of their environment and adapted to its changes, a counter-example to our modern problems and crises. ; En las latitudes tropicales, los fitolitos representan un indicador esencial en la reconstitución de paleoambientes. Sin embargo, todavía se utilizan modestamente en estudios de ambientes pasados en las Tierras Bajas Mayas, a pesar del bajo potencial de otros bioindicadores de vegetación. Es en este contexto, y a través de los ricos archivos sedimentarios del sitio arqueológico de Naachtun y sus alrededores, que proponemos un nuevo enfoque para explotar las ventajas inherentes de estos microfósiles silíceos para el estudio de los ambientes del pasado. Ubicado en el extremo norte de Guatemala en el bosque subtropical del Petén, el territorio de Naachtun ha sido objeto de investigaciones arqueológicas y geoarqueológicas desde 2010. Por su situación geográfica en las tierras bajas y su proximidad a los principales centros políticos mayas, este sitio representa un espacio crucial en la evaluación de las interacciones entre las sociedades mayas y el medio ambiente durante los últimos 4 milenios, el tema principal de este trabajo de doctorado. Para responder a esta pregunta se han privilegiado dos ejes metodológicos. El primer eje se refiere a un enfoque de actualismo y tiene como objetivo calibrar los ensamblajes de fitolitos modernos en relación con los actuales ecosistemas naturales y antropogénicos de Naachtun y su región. El segundo eje, paleoambiental, tiene como objetivo utilizar los ensamblajes de fitolitos fósiles registrados en contextos fuera del sitio, en los sedimentos palustres de bajo, y dentro del sitio, para proponer una reconstrucción de la historia socio-ambiental de Naachtun. Este trabajo de tesis demuestra el potencial de esta nueva herramienta para el abordaje de paleoambientes en las tierras bajas mayas, pero también aporta nuevos conocimientos sobre el uso de los humedales por parte de las poblaciones mayas. En términos más generales, este trabajo se inscribe en la construcción actual de un imaginario de sociedades mayas conscientes de su entorno y adaptadas a sus cambios, un contraejemplo a nuestros problemas y crisis actuales. ; Sous les latitudes tropicales, les phytolithes représentent un indicateur clé dans la reconstitution des paléoenvironnements. Pourtant, ils sont encore modestement utilisés dans les études sur les environnements passés des basses-terres mayas, et ce, en dépit du faible potentiel des autres bioindicateurs de la végétation. C'est dans ce contexte et au travers des riches archives sédimentaires du site archéologique de Naachtun et de ses alentours, que nous proposons une nouvelle approche permettant d'exploiter les avantages inhérents à ces microfossiles siliceux, pour l'étude des environnements passés. Situé à l'extrême nord du Guatemala dans la forêt subtropicale du Petén, le territoire de Naachtun fait l'objet de recherches archéologiques et géoarchéologiques depuis 2010. Par sa localisation géographique au sein des basses-terres et sa proximité aux grands centres politiques mayas, ce site représente un espace clé dans l'évaluation des interactions entre les sociétés mayas et l'environnement au cours des 4 derniers millénaires, problématique principale de ce travail doctoral. Afin d'y répondre, deux axes méthodologiques ont été privilégiés. Le premier axe concerne une démarche actualiste et a pour but de calibrer les assemblages modernes de phytolithes par rapport aux écosystèmes actuels, ''naturels'' et anthropiques, de Naachtun et de sa région. Le second axe, paléoenvironnemental, vise à utiliser les assemblages de phytolithes fossiles, enregistrés en contextes hors-site, dans les sédiments palustres de bajo, et intrasite, afin de proposer une reconstitution de l'histoire socioenvironnementale de Naachtun. Ce travail de thèse démontre le potentiel de ce nouvel outil pour l'approche des paléoenvironnements dans les basses-terres mayas mais il apporte aussi de nouvelles connaissances sur l'utilisation des zones humides par les populations mayas. Plus largement, ce travail s'insère dans la construction actuelle d'un imaginaire des sociétés mayas conscientes de leur environnement et adaptées à ses changements, contre-exemple de nos problématiques et crises modernes.

Recent years have seen rapid advancement in our understanding of the phonology and grammar of Classic Ch'olan and the distribution of Lowland Mayan languages in the Classic period. The control over the data has advanced to such an extent that Classic Ch'olan should no longer be considered chiefly a product of reconstruction, but rather a language in its own right, providing fresh input to historical reconstruction. The interpretation of writing system principles has moved into the forefront of research, and recent discussions of these and other major issues are summarized here. This review suggests that the exceptional phonological transparency of the Maya script, which is a precondition for the current advances in linguistic epigraphy, is rooted in the need of scribes to spell out regional linguistic variants, and a sociolinguistically oriented theory of the evolution of writing in general is formulated and tested on the Mayan hieroglyphic materials.

During April and May 2013, a total of 1057 km2 of LiDAR was flown by NCALM for a consortium of archaeologists working in West-central Belize, making this the largest surveyed area within the Mayan lowlands. Encompassing the Belize Valley and the Vaca Plateau, West-central Belize is one of the most actively researched parts of the Maya lowlands; however, until this effort, no comprehensive survey connecting all settlement had been conducted. Archaeological projects have investigated at least 18 different sites within this region. Thus, a large body of archaeological research provides both the temporal and spatial parameters for the varied ancient Maya centers that once occupied this area; importantly, these data can be used to help interpret the collected LiDAR data. The goal of the 2013 LiDAR campaign was to gain information on the distribution of ancient Maya settlement and sites on the landscape and, particularly, to determine how the landscape was used between known centers. The data that were acquired through the 2013 LiDAR campaign have significance for interpreting both the composition and limits of ancient Maya political units. This paper presents the initial results of these new data and suggests a developmental model for ancient Maya polities.

During April and May 2013, a total of 1057 km2 of LiDAR was flown by NCALM for a consortium of archaeologists working in West-central Belize, making this the largest surveyed area within the Mayan lowlands. Encompassing the Belize Valley and the Vaca Plateau, West-central Belize is one of the most actively researched parts of the Maya lowlands; however, until this effort, no comprehensive survey connecting all settlement had been conducted. Archaeological projects have investigated at least 18 different sites within this region. Thus, a large body of archaeological research provides both the temporal and spatial parameters for the varied ancient Maya centers that once occupied this area; importantly, these data can be used to help interpret the collected LiDAR data. The goal of the 2013 LiDAR campaign was to gain information on the distribution of ancient Maya settlement and sites on the landscape and, particularly, to determine how the landscape was used between known centers. The data that were acquired through the 2013 LiDAR campaign have significance for interpreting both the composition and limits of ancient Maya political units. This paper presents the initial results of these new data and suggests a developmental model for ancient Maya polities.

In this work, it will be analyzed to what extent the archaeology of the Mayan culture can be useful to clarify the debate about the organization and political interaction on the island of Crete during the Neopalatial period. This analogy is not whimsical; since this topic has generated intense debates in the field of Cretan archaeology, some researchers have considered that the models used for the lowlands of Mesoamerica may be useful to provide new answers. Faced with this situation, this research has four general objectives: first, to offer some theoretical-methodological bases to carry out this analogical analysis; second, briefly describe the state of the art in Minoan studies on this debate; third, to systematize the different models proposed for the Mayan culture considering their epistemological and hermeneutical bases; and, finally, evaluate the merits (and defects) of using this analogy. ; En este trabajo analizaremos hasta qué punto la arqueología de la cultura maya puede ser útil para esclarecer el debate acerca de la organización e interacción política en la isla de Creta durante el período Neopalacial. Esta analogía no es caprichosa; dado que este tópico ha generado intensos debates en el campo de la arqueología cretense, algunos investigadores han considerado que los modelos empleados para las tierras bajas de Mesoamérica pueden ser de utilidad para brindar nuevas respuestas. Ante esta situación, nuestra investigación tiene cuatro objetivos generales: primero, ofrecer algunas bases teórico-metodológicas para realizar este análisis analógico; segundo, describir brevemente el estado de la cuestión existente en los estudios minoicos sobre este debate; tercero, sistematizar los diferentes modelos propuestos para la cultura maya considerando sus bases epistemológicas y hermenéuticas; y, por último, hacer una evaluación acerca de los méritos (y defectos) que tiene el empleo de esta analogía.

This book offers a study of long-term, intensive language contact between more than a dozen Mayan languages spoken in the lowlands of Guatemala, Southern Mexico and Belize. It details the massive restructuring of syntactic and semantic organization, the calquing of grammatical patterns, and the direct borrowing of inflectional morphology, including, in some of these languages, the direct borrowing of even entire morphological paradigms. The in-depth analysis of contact among the genetically related Lowland Mayan languages presented in this volume serves as a highly relevant case for theoretical, historical, contact, typological, socio- and anthropological linguistics. This linguistically complex situation involves serious engagement with issues of methods for distinguishing contact-induced similarity from inherited similarity, the role of social and ideological variables in conditioning the outcomes of language contact, cross-linguistic tendencies in language contact, as well as the effect that inherited similarity can have on the processes and outcomes of language contact.

Resumen: En este trabajo analizaremos hasta qué punto la arqueología de la cultura maya puede ser útil para esclarecer el debate acerca de la organización e interacción política en la isla de Creta durante el período Neopalacial. Esta analogía no es caprichosa; dado que este tópico ha generado intensos debates en el campo de la arqueología cretense, algunos investigadores han considerado que los modelos empleados para las tierras bajas de Mesoamérica pueden ser de utilidad para brindar nuevas respuestas. Ante esta situación, nuestra investigación tiene cuatro objetivos generales: primero, ofrecer algunas bases teórico-metodológicas para realizar este análisis analógico; segundo, describir brevemente el estado de la cuestión existente en los estudios minoicos sobre este debate; tercero, sistematizar los diferentes modelos propuestos para la cultura maya considerando sus bases epistemológicas y hermenéuticas; y, por último, hacer una evaluación acerca de los méritos (y defectos) que tiene el empleo de esta analogía. ; In this work, it will be analyzed to what extent the archaeology of the Mayan culture can be useful to clarify the debate about the organization and political interaction on the island of Crete during the Neopalatial period. This analogy is not whimsical; since this topic has generated intense debates in the field of Cretan archaeology, some researchers have considered that the models used for the lowlands of Mesoamerica may be useful to provide new answers. Faced with this situation, this research has four general objectives: first, to offer some theoretical-methodological bases to carry out this analogical analysis; second, briefly describe the state of the art in Minoan studies on this debate; third, to systematize the different models proposed for the Mayan culture considering their epistemological and hermeneutical bases; and, finally, evaluate the merits (and defects) of using this analogy.

Tema del mes ; Al tiempo de la invasión española, los europeos encontraron en las Tierras Bajas del Norte varias entidades políticas (cuchcabalob) de los mayas. Éstas se sostenían con base en las relaciones sociopolíticas establecidas entre el goberante-halach uinic y sus batabob subordinados, por lo que su dominio era de carácter jurisdiccional y de ninguna manera territorial con espacio continuo y demarcación lineal. Cada componente, bababil, compartía la misma característica que un cuchcabal y gozaba de cierta autonomía política. Esto obligó al gobernante supremo a recurrir a varios medios para mantener su dominio, tales como, el manejo de la "casa-oficina representativa de sus batabob subordinados en la capital, las alianzas matrimoniales y el sistema de redistribución de los bienes suntuosos traídos de Honduras y Tabasco. En caso de que él no pudiese satisfacer los intereses de los batabob sujetos, éstos podían tomar la decisión de aliarse con otro gobernante que se lo comprometía. Así, los cuchcabalob del Posclásico tardío tendían a ser poco estables. ; On the eve of the Spanish Conquest, in the Northern Lowland Maya the Europeans saw many native political entities called cuchcabalob. They were sociopolitical based jurisdictions established between the ruler (halach uinic) and his subjects (batabob). These political units were never to be considered as territorial with well-defined and closed continuous space. Its component, batabil, consists of the same administrative principle, and as such enjoyed some kind of autonomy. To maintain the cohesion of his jurisdictions, the rulers were obliged to manage political strategy such as "representative office" of the subordinate batabob in the capital, the marriage of convenience, and the redistributive system of rare articles brought from Honduras and Tabasco. If the ruler could not satisfy the particular interests of his subordinated batabob, these could choose another ruler who promise to do so. The Late Postclassic mayan political entities, therefore, showed some inclination toward a little instable.

Tema del mes ; Al tiempo de la invasión española, los europeos encontraron en las Tierras Bajas del Norte varias entidades políticas (cuchcabalob) de los mayas. Éstas se sostenían con base en las relaciones sociopolíticas establecidas entre el goberante-halach uinic y sus batabob subordinados, por lo que su dominio era de carácter jurisdiccional y de ninguna manera territorial con espacio continuo y demarcación lineal. Cada componente, bababil, compartía la misma característica que un cuchcabal y gozaba de cierta autonomía política. Esto obligó al gobernante supremo a recurrir a varios medios para mantener su dominio, tales como, el manejo de la "casa-oficina representativa de sus batabob subordinados en la capital, las alianzas matrimoniales y el sistema de redistribución de los bienes suntuosos traídos de Honduras y Tabasco. En caso de que él no pudiese satisfacer los intereses de los batabob sujetos, éstos podían tomar la decisión de aliarse con otro gobernante que se lo comprometía. Así, los cuchcabalob del Posclásico tardío tendían a ser poco estables. ; On the eve of the Spanish Conquest, in the Northern Lowland Maya the Europeans saw many native political entities called cuchcabalob. They were sociopolitical based jurisdictions established between the ruler (halach uinic) and his subjects (batabob). These political units were never to be considered as territorial with well-defined and closed continuous space. Its component, batabil, consists of the same administrative principle, and as such enjoyed some kind of autonomy. To maintain the cohesion of his jurisdictions, the rulers were obliged to manage political strategy such as "representative office" of the subordinate batabob in the capital, the marriage of convenience, and the redistributive system of rare articles brought from Honduras and Tabasco. If the ruler could not satisfy the particular interests of his subordinated batabob, these could choose another ruler who promise to do so. The Late Postclassic mayan political entities, therefore, showed some inclination toward a little instable.

This paper reviews the sources modern researchers use to study Maya warfare. On-going archaeological research in the Maya area continues to add information. Painted & carved representations of conflict also add to the corpus of data that needs to be analyzed. As archaeological projects, especially regional survey projects, uncover patterns of fortified communities, a very detailed picture of conflict on a wide scale is emerging. Brief descriptions of fortified communities in both the Maya Lowlands & Highlands are provided, with special emphasis on the Petexbatun region in northern Guatemala. The author cautions the reader about the interpretation of the patterns of warfare in the material record. The paper ends with a discussion of seasonality & other limiting factors of warfare. 84 References. Adapted from the source document.

"Over the past decade there has been substantial progress in understanding Maya hieroglyphic writing. This development led to the reconstruction of Classic Maya (AD 300-900) political history. Epigraphers suggested a major influence of Teotihuacan during the Early Classic Period (AD 300-600), and some even argued for a direct Teotihuacan conquest of the Maya lowlands. The Late Classic Period (AD 600-900) was interpreted as a constant hegemonic struggle between Tikal and Calakmul, which in different ways influenced Classic Maya political relations. These reconstructions of political history were directly tied to the interpretations of political organisation, ranging from peer polity interaction models to more bureaucratic polities. In this work the author examines and analyses inscriptions from the Western Maya Region, which are especially rich in information concerning interaction of polities and interpolity organisation. The author reconstructs the historical development of the region, examining the influence of Teotihuacan and that of the hegemonic states Tikal and Calakmul."--Publisher's website