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Ancient Maya Defensive Barricades, Warfare, and Site Abandonment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Joel W. Palka
Joel W. Palka*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology and Latin American and Latino Studies Program, University of Illinois-Chicago, 1007 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607
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Abstract

In a recent report (Latin American Antiquity 11:283-299), Bruce Dahlin presents evidence from Chunchucmil, Yucatan, and other ancient lowland Maya centers, which indicates that low stone and earth barricade walls may have been important defensive constructions. He also postulates that population annihilation occurred during Maya warfare, particularly at Chunchucmil. In this commentary I explore alternative explanations regarding Maya defensive works and warfare derived from recent archaeological research and historic sources from the Maya lowlands. The existence of palisades or thorny bush on barricade walls, and more gradual abandonment of Maya sites during episodes of conflict, warrant further consideration and testing along with Dahlin"s intriguing hypotheses.

Resumen

Resumen

En un reporte reciente en Latin American Antiquity, Dahlin presenta evidencias arqueológicas de Chunchucmil, Yucatán, y de otros centros mayas de las tierras bajas, que sugieren que barricadas bajas de piedra y tierra eran construcciones defensivas importantes. También Dahlin propone que la aniquilación de la población ocurrió durante la guerra maya y en particular en Chunchucmil. En el siguiente comentario discuto posibles explicaciones sobre la guerra maya y sus construcciones defensivas, según investigaciones arqueológicas recientes y el análisis de fuentes históricas de las tierras bajas mayas. Existe evidencia de muros defensivos con palizadas en sitios mayas antiguos del área Petexbatún, Guatemala, y los documentos coloniales mencionan asentamientos mayas protegidos por palizadas, plantas espinosas, y muros altos de piedra. Los datos arqueológicos e históricos también indican que los habitantes de estos sitios mayas no fueron masacrados a consecuencia de acciones bélicas, sino más bien que los asentamientos fueron abandonados a lo largo del tiempo. La presencia de palizadas o plantas espinosas en las barricadas y el abandono gradual de la población en Chunchucmil y otros sitios mayas en situaciones de conflicto, deben considerarse junto con las hipótesis interesantes de Dahlin. Investigaciones arqueológicas más extensas enfocadas a murallas defensivas y zonas residenciales resolverían preguntas sobre la construcción de barricadas o palizadas y los efectos de la guerra en los habitantes.

Type
Comments
Information
Latin American Antiquity , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , December 2001 , pp. 427 - 430
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 2001

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References

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