Ancient lowland Maya complexity as revealed by airborne laser scanning of northern Guatemala
Ancient lowland Maya complexity as revealed by airborne laser scanning of northern Guatemala
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DOI：
10.1126/science.aau0137
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发表时间：
2018-09-28
期刊：
影响因子：
56.9
通讯作者：
Shrestha, Ramesh
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Canuto, Marcello A.;Estrada-Belli, Francisco;Shrestha, Ramesh
引言低地玛雅文明繁荣于公元前1000年至公元1500年在尤卡坦半岛及其周边地区。这个文明以其在写作、艺术、建筑、天文学和数学方面的复杂性而闻名，但它仍然被无法进入的森林所掩盖，关于它的构成仍然存在许多问题。2016年，Pacunam激光雷达计划（PLI）对玛雅地区进行了迄今为止最大的激光雷达调查，绘制了危地马拉玛雅生物圈保护区2144平方公里的地图。PLI的数据使我们能够描述玛雅中部低地广泛、多样和具有代表性的古代定居点和基础设施的特征。2009年，学者们首次将现代激光雷达技术应用于低地玛雅地区，重点分析了各个遗址的周边环境。PLI覆盖的面积是以往任何调查的两倍，涉及一个学者联盟，对整个调查区域进行合作和互补分析。学者之间的这种合作提供了一个独特的区域视角，揭示了在尤卡坦半岛的中部低地，大量的古代人口以及复杂的、以前未被认识到的景观变化。控制了一些复杂的变量，我们估计在古典晚期（公元650年至800年）的高峰期，平均密度为80至120人/平方公里。将这一定居点密度外推到整个95，000平方公里的中部低地，得出的人口范围为700万至1，100万。然而，定居点的分布并不均匀;我们发现了以下证据：（i）整体密度较低的农村地区，（ii）城市中心较小且人口分散的城郊地区，以及（iii）单一大城市整合了更广泛人口的城市地区。激光雷达显示了低地湿地和高地梯田的农田系统。湿地系统的规模及其与密集人口的联系表明集中规划，而高地梯田围绕住宅群，意味着地方管理。分析确定了362平方公里的故意改造的农业地形和另外952平方公里的未经改造的高地，潜在的砍伐使用。遗址内部和遗址之间约有106公里的堤道，证明了遗址内部和内部的连通性。相比之下，相当大的防御功能指向社会脱节和大规模的conflication.CONCLUSIONThe 2144 km 2的激光雷达数据获得的PLI改变古玛雅在区域范围内的解释。数百万的古代人口在中部低地分布不均匀，城市化程度不同。激光雷达中发现的农业系统表明了这些人口是如何得到支持的，尽管不规则的分布表明存在非常复杂的区域农业经济。在综合特征（堤道）和冲突特征（防御系统）方面的大量基础设施投资突出了古代低地玛雅景观的相互联系。这些关于古玛雅的观点产生了新的问题，为实地考察细化了目标，引发了对连续景观的区域研究，并将玛雅考古学推进到一个大胆的研究和探索时代。在黄昏时分，佩滕的纳赫通考古遗址的代表。每个古老的结构都用一个黄点标记。好吧...
INTRODUCTIONLowland Maya civilization flourished from 1000 BCE to 1500 CE in and around the Yucatan Peninsula. Known for its sophistication in writing, art, architecture, astronomy, and mathematics, this civilization is still obscured by inaccessible forest, and many questions remain about its makeup. In 2016, the Pacunam Lidar Initiative (PLI) undertook the largest lidar survey to date of the Maya region, mapping 2144 km2of the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala. The PLI data have made it possible to characterize ancient settlement and infrastructure over an extensive, varied, and representative swath of the central Maya Lowlands.RATIONALEScholars first applied modern lidar technology to the lowland Maya area in 2009, focusing analysis on the immediate surroundings of individual sites. The PLI covers twice the area of any previous survey and involves a consortium of scholars conducting collaborative and complementary analyses of the entire survey region. This cooperation among scholars has provided a unique regional perspective revealing substantial ancient population as well as complex previously unrecognized landscape modifications at a grand scale throughout the central lowlands in the Yucatan peninsula.RESULTSAnalysis identified 61,480 ancient structures in the survey region, resulting in a density of 29 structures/km2. Controlling for a number of complex variables, we estimate an average density of ~80 to 120 persons/km2at the height of the Late Classic period (650 to 800 CE). Extrapolation of this settlement density to the entire 95,000 km2of the central lowlands produces a population range of 7 million to 11 million. Settlement distribution is not homogeneous, however; we found evidence of (i) rural areas with low overall density, (ii) periurban zones with small urban centers and dispersed populations, and (iii) urban zones where a single, large city integrated a wider population.The PLI survey revealed a landscape heavily modified for intensive agriculture, necessary to sustain populations on this scale. Lidar shows field systems in the low-lying wetlands and terraces in the upland areas. The scale of wetland systems and their association with dense populations suggest centralized planning, whereas upland terraces cluster around residences, implying local management. Analysis identified 362 km2of deliberately modified agricultural terrain and another 952 km2of unmodified uplands for potential swidden use. Approximately 106 km of causeways within and between sites constitute evidence of inter- and intracommunity connectivity. In contrast, sizable defensive features point to societal disconnection and large-scale conflict.CONCLUSIONThe 2144 km2of lidar data acquired by the PLI alter interpretations of the ancient Maya at a regional scale. An ancient population in the millions was unevenly distributed across the central lowlands, with varying degrees of urbanization. Agricultural systems found in lidar indicate how these populations were supported, although an irregular distribution suggests the existence of a regional agricultural economy of great complexity. Substantial infrastructural investment in integrative features (causeways) and conflictive features (defensive systems) highlights the interconnectivity of the ancient lowland Maya landscape. These perspectives on the ancient Maya generate new questions, refine targets for fieldwork, elicit regional study across continuous landscapes, and advance Maya archaeology into a bold era of research and exploration.Representation of the archaeological site of Naachtun, Petén, at twilight.Each ancient structure is marked by a yellow dot.CREDIT: L. AULD …