The survey of archaeological sites in the the Parque Nacional Sierra del Lacandón, Petén, Guatemala offers a unique opportunity to understand the socio-political organization of the Classic Maya (AD 250 - 900), and provides important benefits for the protection and sustained development of natural and cultural resources in Guatemala. As a result of recent decipherments of the numerous glyphic texts from this region, we understand a great deal about the Pre-Columbian political history of the area. What we lack is an understanding of the structures that bound together all levels of society during the Classic Period. The Sierra del Lacandon Regional Archaeology Project includes Guatemalan and American experts in archaeology, remote sensing, agronomy, and geography. This project does not focus simply on the cataloguing and exploration of archaeological sites, but rather seeks an understanding of the landscapes between sites, particularly as this pertains to: (1) ancient economy and commerce, (2) patterns of settlement from the level of peasant to that of royalty, (3) the spatial relationships between sites, and particularly the development of political frontiers between kingdoms, (4) the relationship between the natural environment and settlement, and (5) ancient agricultural patterns that maintained the large urban capitals of the region.

Hypothetical extents of Classic period Maya polities in the middle Usumacinta.

Objectives in Agreement with the Master Plan
of the Parque Nacional Sierra del Lacandón

One of the primary objectives of the SLRAP is the integration of the archaeological project and its data with the master plan of the Parque Nacional Sierra del Lacandón, and the creation of sustainable benefits for communities adjacent to the park. One of the last pristine areas of jungle along the Usumacinta River, the Sierra del Lacandón is under tremendous pressure from settlements and illegal exploitation of both cultural and natural resources. Threats to the park come from within Guatemala, and from across the river in Chiapas, Mexico. Two documuents, “El Plan Maestro 1999 – 2003 del Parque Nacional Sierra del Lacandón” (Herrera y Paiz 1999), and the “Propuesta para el Manejo e Investigación de los Recursos culturales del Parque Nacional Sierra del Lacandón” (Chan 2001), detail the organization and priorities of the park. Both emphasize the need for a systematic reconnaissance of cultural resources. Our proposal is in accord with the priorities of the Defensores de la Naturaleza, with whom we have a working agreement. Our reconnaissance will identify threatened areas and improve the ability of park guards to act as caretakers for the national patrimony of Guatemala.

Moreover, the identification of archaeological sites will attract eco-tourists, improving income in communities surrounding the park and encouraging the protection of both cultural and natural resources. Also included in our proposal is the creation of a Geographic Information System (GIS) database to be made available to park officials and other researchers. Among the objectives of park development, Chan (2001: 43) lists: “Realizar el inventario y caracterización de elementos culturales que implica reconocimientos y documentación de sitios arqueológicos prehispánicos, coloniales e históricos e integrarlos a un SIG.” * Our project represents a key part of this objective.

Finally, our project includes agronomers from Brigham Young University, whose investigations into the agricultural practices of the ancient Maya has important implications for modern communities across the Petén. Deforestation is proceeding rapidly as a result of immigration from the highlands, cattle ranching, slash-and-burn farming, and oil drilling. It is not clear what “sustainable use” of forests means in the context of Lowland Guatemala. Yet, during the Classic period, Maya agriculturalists were able to support a population vastly larger than the modern population of the region. An understanding of how this system first sustained the growth of urban centers, and subsequently failed can help avoid environmental disasters in the future.

References

Chan, Rosa María
2001 Propuesta para el Manejo e Investigación de los Recursos Culturales del Parque Nacional Sierra del Lacandón. Defensores de la Naturaleza, Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Herrera, Rudy and Marie-Claire Paíz
1999 Plan Maestro 1999-2003 Parque Nacional Sierra del Lacandón.
Defensores de la Naturaleza, Guatemala City, Guatemala.

* “To create the inventory and characterize the cultural elements, requiring reconnaissance and documentation of prehispanic, colonial and historic archaeological sites, and integrating them in a GIS."