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Home News Archaeology

Preclassic environmental degradation of Lake Petén Itzá, by the early Mayans

by Dario Radley
March 5, 2023

The scientists examined a sediment core from Lake Petén Itzá in Guatemala to understand how the Maya occupation of the Nixtun-Ch’ich’ archaeological site impacted the environment.

Preclassic environmental degradation of Lake Petén Itzá, by the early Mayans
A Map of the Yucatán Peninsula region in Central America, with the location of the central Petén lakes region indicated by the small, red rectangle in northern Guatemala. B Map of Lake Petén Itzá, showing the location of the Candelaria Peninsula at the western end of the lake, which hosts the archeological site of Nixtun-Ch’ich’. C Map of Nixtun-Ch’ich’, showing the city’s unique gridded layout and the site where the lake sediment core was collected. Credit: Birkett, B.A. et al. / Communications Earth & Environment (2023)

The core was collected from the western part of the lake, which is near the Nixtun-Ch’ich’ site on the Candelaria Peninsula.

Using various methods, including radiocarbon dating, the researchers conducted a thorough paleolimnological investigation of the sediment core.

They discovered changes in organic matter indicators that revealed an undocumented period of aquatic ecosystem alteration during the Maya occupation of Nixtun-Ch’ich’, providing more evidence of human-induced environmental changes in the Maya Lowlands.

The study, published in Communications Earth & Environment, found that increases in charcoal and fecal stanol concentrations indicate that the Maya settled in the Candelaria Peninsula during the late Early Preclassic period.

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The paleolimnological evidence suggests that the ancient Maya transformed terrestrial ecosystems by clearing forests to build large civic-ceremonial centers and expand agriculture.

While the impact of Maya activities on terrestrial environments has been studied, the effects on aquatic ecosystems have received less attention.

More information: Birkett, B.A., Obrist-Farner, J., Rice, P.M. et al. (2023). Preclassic environmental degradation of Lake Petén Itzá, Guatemala, by the early Maya of Nixtun-Ch’ich’. Commun Earth Environ 4, 59. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00726-4

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