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Combining Survey, Soil Coring, and GIS Methods to Improve Reservoir Capacity Estimates in the Maya Lowlands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 May 2022

Damien B. Marken Open the ORCID record for Damien B. Marken [Opens in a new window] ,
Matthew C. Ricker Open the ORCID record for Matthew C. Ricker [Opens in a new window]  and
Robert Austin Open the ORCID record for Robert Austin [Opens in a new window]
Damien B. Marken*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, PA, USA
Matthew C. Ricker
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA (mcricker@ncsu.edu, reaustin@ncsu.edu)
Robert Austin
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA (mcricker@ncsu.edu, reaustin@ncsu.edu)
*
(dmarken@bloomu.edu, corresponding author)
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Abstract

This study reports water capacity estimates for four reservoirs within the Classic Maya city of El Perú-Waka’, Guatemala. Combining field survey, soil analysis, and a variety of GIS interpolation methods, it illustrates ways to more fully quantify a challenging resource—water—and its availability using an interdisciplinary approach. This is accomplished by comparing surface interpolation methods for estimating reservoir capacities to demonstrate that most provide reliable estimates. Reported estimates are further enhanced by analyzing internal reservoir soil morphology to better understand and quantify formation processes and refine estimates from field survey. These analyses document a multiscalar organization to water management within the Waka’ urban core that likely ran the gamut from individuals up to civic and state institutions. Although intricacies remain to be fully elucidated, this example offers an alternate path to theorizing about water management practices from traditional binary approaches.

Este estudio reporta estimaciones de capacidad de agua para cuatro reservorios dentro de la ciudad del Clásico Maya de El Perú-Waka’, Guatemala. Combinando datos topográficos, análisis de suelos y una variedad de métodos de interpolación GIS, intenta cuantificar más completamente un recurso desafiante, el agua, y su disponibilidad utilizando un enfoque multiescalar e interdisciplinario. Esto se logra mediante la comparación de métodos de interpolación de superficie para estimar las capacidades del yacimiento y demostrar que la mayoría proporciona estimaciones confiables. Las estimaciones informadas se mejoran aún más mediante el análisis de la morfología del suelo del yacimiento interno para comprender y cuantificar mejor los procesos de formación y agudizar las estimaciones de la prospección de campo. Estos análisis documentan una organización multiescalar para la gestión del agua dentro del núcleo urbano de Perú-Waka’ que probablemente abarcó desde individuos hasta instituciones cívicas y estatales. Aunque sus complejidades aún no se han aclarado por completo, este ejemplo ofrece un camino alternativo para teorizar sobre las prácticas de gestión del agua a partir de enfoques binarios tradicionales.

Keywords

water managementgeographic information systemsgeoarchaeologyMaya lowlandsgestión de aguasistemas de información geográficageo-arqueologíatierras bajas Maya
Type
Article
Information
Advances in Archaeological Practice , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , May 2022 , pp. 187 - 199
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for American Archaeology

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