Spatial, ethnographic and epigraphic approaches to the relationship between Maya communities and environmental stress
Both the perceived successes and failures of the Maya are often linked to their relationship with the local environment, and their response to episodes of climate change over a period of nearly 2000 years. However, our understanding of human responses to environmental stress has been mostly shaped by narrow focus on drought as a cause for societal collapse, even in relatively well-watered tropical regions. We still know little about the choices humans make in response to extreme variability in rainfall in different environmental conditions and on multiple timescales. This project responds to recent debates and new analytical opportunities in Maya archaeology provided by developments such as increased amounts of paleoclimatic data, the growing field of settlement archaeology and advances in Maya epigraphy, and by combining a range of evidence seeks to explore the relationship between Maya society and the local environment on multiple spatial and temporal scales, while also taking into account socio-cultural agencies. In addition, results from ethnographic fieldwork among contemporary Maya communities provide insights into the impact of stress-inducing climatic events on peopleâs lives and their coping strategies.
Jobbova, E.
Spatial, ethnographic and epigraphic approaches to the relationship between Maya communities and environmental stress. Both the perceived successes and failures of the Maya are often linked to their relationship with the local environment, and their response to episodes of climate change over a period of nearly 2000 years. However, our understanding of human responses to environmental stress has been mostly shaped by narrow focus on drought as a cause for societal collapse, even in relatively well-watered tropical regions. We still know little about the choices humans make in response to extreme variability in rainfall in different environmental conditions and on multiple timescales. This project responds to recent debates and new analytical opportunities in Maya archaeology provided by developments such as increased amounts of paleoclimatic data, the growing field of settlement archaeology and advances in Maya epigraphy, and by combining a range of evidence seeks to explore the relationship between Maya society and the local environment on multiple spatial and temporal scales, while also taking into account socio-cultural agencies. In addition, results from ethnographic fieldwork among contemporary Maya communities provide insights into the impact of stress-inducing climatic events on peopleâs lives and their coping strategies.
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