Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant: Water Management At An Early Urban Center

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The provision of a dependable water supply is of critical importance to human societies both today and in the past. Dr. Nicholas Dunning and Mr. Jeffrey Brewer of the University of Cincinnati, along with an interdisciplinary research group, consisting of colleagues from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, will study the development and maintenance of an urbanized, complex system of water collection, storage, and distribution within an area of limited and ephemeral natural water resources in the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Previous studies on water management have identified and analyzed a variety of water management features within the context of regional environmental and cultural changes. Adapting to variable climatic conditions and expressing political control, in particular, are considered key considerations in the creation and oversight of water storage features. Archaeology is well positioned to provide unique insight into this discussion by focusing on the complex interrelationship between hydrology, topography, vegetation, and architecture across multiple spatial and temporal scales. When and how do carefully managed water resources become an inherent component of urban adaptation? Although the nature and scale of a community's water features change across space and time, understanding the relationship between water storage, climatic conditions, and human settlement is vital to promoting sustainability, resource conservation, and public education in global societies.Dr. Dunning, Mr. Brewer and colleagues will use empirical data to study how residents of both the urban core and urban periphery managed their limited water resources and developed and maintained a complex system of water management. The research will be conducted at the ancient Maya site of Yaxnohcah, located within the central lowlands of the Yucatan Peninsula. This site provides a unique opportunity to advance understanding of critical resource management and utilization practices that permitted the local inhabitants to support a high population density across a long span of time. The researchers will work with a team of archaeologists, geographers, and environmental scientists to examine the area's hydrological, ecological, and land use history from the Middle Preclassic to Early Postclassic periods (900 B.C. - A.D. 1100). The combination of archaeological excavation, sediment core studies, and high-resolution satellite imagery analysis will permit a unique examination of this civilization's hydraulic developments and advance the field in new directions. This diverse multidisciplinary dataset will enable a more complete understanding of the physical, temporal, and spatial characteristics of these hydraulic features and their precise roles in the daily lives and activities of community inhabitants. This research will advance our broader understanding of the resilient capacity of human societies faced with significant environmental challenges, and the collaborative focus of the project will also establish and enrich opportunities for international student training and research.