Agroforestry at the Ancient Maya City of Calakmul, Mexico

Abstract

Record ID: 337

Program Affiliation: NA

Presentation Type: Poster

Abstract: The ancient city of Calakmul, once a leading polity of the Classic Maya world, has drawn the attention of scholarly investigation for nearly a century.  Despite the long history of academic research, the intricate relationship of the densely populated center with its surrounding tropical forest environment has only recently come into clear focus. How did they provide adequate supplies of food and forest products to expanding populations during an occupation that lasted well over a millennium?  These and other questions have been the focus of a recent study conducted by a multidisciplinary team of biologists, geographers and archaeologists. In this poster we will address these questions using the identification of wood remains using a combination of light and Scanning Electron Microscopy.