Dissertation Research: Study of an Ancient Maya Bajo Community in Northwestern Belize

在帕特里克卡尔伯特博士的指导下，朱莉·库南女士将为她的博士论文收集数据。在一个季节的初步实地考察的基础上，她将继续在La Milpa考古遗址进行调查和挖掘。位于伯利兹西北部的这个大型低地玛雅人定居点包含一系列大小不等的结构，从小型家庭规模的土丘到主要的纪念性结构。最有趣的也许是一个水库和排水系统的存在，调节水的储存和释放到不同地区的网站。这意味着高度集中的水管理和控制。与该遗址有关的还有被称为“bajos”的低洼沼泽地区。这些特征一直是许多猜测的焦点，因为许多研究人员认为，这些地区被有目的的人类改造显着改变，并作为高生产力的领域系统。他们认为，巴霍农业使玛雅人达到了在低地热带环境中不寻常的人口密度。 库宁女士将在一个海湾进行广泛的挖掘，以寻找文化上的变化。她将编制一份详细的植被图，因为有证据表明，植被格局的细微变化表明人类对土壤的操纵。在她的初步工作中，库宁女士找到了一些位于下水道边缘的遗址，她将对它们进行调查和挖掘。她想了解史前La Milpa居民的社会组织，并希望测试家庭规模和地位的变化是由他们在景观上的相对位置与农业资源的关系决定的想法。因为她的工作是一个更大的项目的一部分，她将能够比较定居点，她挖掘的那些位于非巴霍地区。 这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将揭示史前玛雅人如何用相对简单的技术在资源贫乏的环境中实现高人口密度。它可能为玛雅社会组织的原则提供新的见解，并将有助于培养一名有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. Patrick Culbert MS Julie Kunen will collect data for her doctoral dissertation. Building on one season of preliminary fieldwork, she will continue survey and excavation at the archaeological site of La Milpa. Located in northwestern Belize this large lowland Mayan settlement contains a range of structures which vary in size from small household size mounds to major monumental structures. Most interesting perhaps is the presence of a system of reservoirs and drainages that regulated the storage and release of water to different areas of the site. This suggests a high degree of centralized water management and control. Also associated with the site are low-lying swampy areas known as `bajos.` These features have been the focus of much speculation because many researchers believe that these areas were significantly altered by purposeful human modification and served as highly productive field systems. They believe that bajo agriculture allowed Mayan peoples to achieve population densities unusual in lowland tropical settings. MS Kunen will conduct extensive excavation in one bajo to search for cultural modifications. She will prepare a detailed vegetation map since evidence indicates that fine grained variation in vegetation patterns provides indications of human manipulation of soil. During her preliminary work MS Kunen located a number of sites located near the edge of the bajo and she will survey and excavate them. She wants to understand the social organization of the prehistoric La Milpa inhabitants and wishes to test the idea that variation in household size and status is determined by their relative placement on the landscape in relation to agricultural resources. Because her work is part of a larger project, she will be able to compare the settlements she excavates to those located in non-bajo areas. This research is important for several reasons. It will shed light on how the prehistoric Maya with a relatively simple technology were able to achieve high population densities in a resource poor environment. It may provide new insight into the principles of Mayan social organization and will assist in training a promising young scientist.