A Re-evaluation of the Earthworks at Tikal, Guatemala

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Dr. David Webster will use National Science Foundation funding to investigate the largest known set of ancient fortifications in the Maya Lowlands of Mesoamerica. When these fortifications were discovered at Tikal, Guatemala, in 1966, the Classic Maya were widely regarded unique among ancient civilizations for their apparent lack of intense warfare. The earthworks reported at Tikal were interpreted as defenses that protected not only the monumental architecture at the site core, but also a larger region of about 120 sq km where the bulk of the sustaining population lived. Because Classic Maya inscriptions could not be read in the mid-1960s, these earthworks constituted early convincing evidence contradicting the "peaceful Maya" conception. They also intrigued archaeologists who faced a vexing problem: how can the boundaries of ancient Maya settlements or polities be detected where ruins extend more or less continuously over vast regions? At Tikal the Maya themselves provided us with just such boundaries. Subsequent evidence for warfare soon appeared at other Classic sites, such as the earthworks at Becan, excavated by Webster in 1970. Even more important was an avalanche of deciphered inscriptions after 1980, which are full of references to war between Maya kingdoms. Historical chronicles from many centers now reveal great geopolitical struggles between Maya "superpowers" (Tikal among them) and their associated coalitions. Ironically, the Tikal earthworks have been entirely neglected by archaeologists since they were first reported. Such neglect is particularly serious because they were initially described and mapped only in a very superficial way, and we have only the poorest grasp of when they were first constructed or when they were used. No one has even confirmed the existence of the southern earthwork, which might be better called a rumor. Despite this paucity of information, the earthworks loom large in reconstructions of Tikal's military struggles and the demographic and territorial character of the polity. Our project, slated for the dry season of 2003, represents the first phase of a larger effort to better document these intriguing features. We plan to map the entire northern earthwork (about 9 km long) determine how it connects (or not) with large swamps on the east and west, and also record all associated settlement remains. We also hope to locate the more distant and elusive southern earthwork, and at least verify its basic features. Results will set the stage for future excavations to better reveal how the earthworks were constructed, and how and when they were used. We especially hope to eventually associate use of the fortifications with recorded episodes of warfare. Our research will provide Mayanists with an important test of the congruence between historical and archaeological data, and the implications of these data for conflict, demography, and political organization. It will also interest all archaeologists concerned with how to detect warfare in prehistoric contexts. Most importantly, it will help us to better understand how war and conflict among the ancient Maya fits into our larger comparative perspectives about the role of warfare in the evolution of all ancient civilizations.