<i>Bajo</i>Communities: A Case Study from the Central Peten

Abstract

A vital task facing scholars concerned with the structure of ancient Maya society is reconstructing the relationships among subsistence, population, and social organization.Particularly in the southern Maya lowlands, where extremely dense populations were found by Late Classic times, substantial modifications of the landscape through a variety of land management techniques were necessary.The nature of these modifications, the range of innovations, and the degree of intensification are still, however, poorly understood.This article explores the significance of one form of landscape modification entailed by the occupation and use of seasonal wetlands (bajos).Below, we examine the debate over the significance of intensive wetland agriculture in the Maya lowlands, then discuss the preliminary findings of a case study designed to investigate the duration and intensity of use of a major central Peten bajo.