Maya Agricultural Methods

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Maya Agricultural Methods

The ancient Maya used several different agricultural methods that were critical to the rise of their civilization. The transition from hunting & gathering to subsistence farming began in the Preclassic period, beginning with the use of swidden agriculture. Other forms that have been documented included terracing, raised fields, and various irrigation methods. Population growth and the rise of ancient Maya polities were often dependent on the success of agricultural methods, as population growth requires increased food production and growth of population often required the reorganization of society. This growth also allowed for more specialization of labor, political reorganization, and further population growth. This also allowed for the development of centralized markets and an increase in trade with other communities, leading to a further increase in prosperity.

Agricultural villages were well established in Mesoamerica by 2000 BC. Evidence for agriculture in ancient Maya society is found in the Preclassic period. The first agriculturalists may have been migrants from outside the Maya highlands, perhaps from neighboring coastal regions.

Maya agricultural practices were generally a mix of extensive and intensive practices. Extensive practices took place over larger expanses of land, and were less productive per acre, supporting lower population densities. Extensive agricultural practices generally took place in more marginal territories, and could support several small villages or families and included agricultural practices such as swiddening. Intensive agricultural practices took place in areas of naturally high soil fertility. These areas generally supported areas of much higher population density such as large regional centers like Tikal and Palenque. These practices included such methods as terracing, raised fields, arboriculture, household gardens, and hydraulic modifications.

Swidden Agriculture

Swidden agriculture was the earliest form of cultivation used by the Maya, which consisted of clearing vast swaths of land using slash and burn techniques and replanting new crops; typically maize, beans, squash or other domesticated crops. The Maya typically moved on to new fields after several years when soils were exhausted. The Maya developed techniques such as leaving larger trees in place, and intercropping, to allow soils to recover faster. This type of agriculture is still a common method today. While it was originally believed that this method was more widely used throughout ancient Maya society, studies have shown that it was most likely more confined to marginal environments that were unsuited for other methods.

While there is no direct evidence of swidden agriculture in the ancient record, indirect evidence comes from pollen samples in sediment cores from lowland lake beds, which determines that early Preclassic settlers of the lowlands grew maize.

Terracing

The modification of landscapes through terracing in ancient Maya society was performed throughout the Maya lowlands. Terracing was performed to retain water in the soil and reduce erosion, which would in turn increase productivity. Some of the largest terracing zones are located in Belize in areas such as Xunantunich, Caracol, and along the slopes of the Maya Mountains. These terraces date back to the Classic period and were most likely used for continuous cultivation.

Raised Fields

Raised fields or “Chinampas", allowed more productive use of swampy land by digging narrow drainage channels in well saturated soils and forming continuous ridges alongside these channels, on which crops could be grown. Swamps were dredged periodically to replenish soil fertility, which made continuous cultivation possible. A series of canals were used to drain the raised fields, which were used to grow a variety of crops such as maize, cotton, and possibly cacao. It is believed that the channels of raised fields were also used for various forms of aquaculture.

There is direct evidence of raised field agriculture from archaeological excavations in Belize, dating back to the Classic period in the form of plant remains. The pattern that is formed by ridged field agriculture is also very distinct and easily detected by aerial photography.

Household Gardens

Household (or kitchen) gardens were gardens cultivated near small family residences, and typically contained a variety of different food and medicinal plants. These gardens required minimal care and input, and typically had lower rates of soil depletion due to intercropping and the nutrients provided from plant compost and human and animal wastes. They also provided much higher yields per acre. While the gardens themselves were centered on small plots of land, several gardens could be found in one settlement. Common plants found in kitchen gardens included maize, beans, squash, agave, cacao, chiles, cotton, malanga and manioc.

Spanish accounts from the sixteenth century provide evidence of the use of household gardens, as well as the continued use of the practice today by the contemporary Maya. Studies of settlement patterns and botanical patterns also provide indirect evidence of the existence of such gardens. Excavations at Ceren in El Salvador, where volcanic ash has preserved archaeological remains, provides direct evidence that the Maya cultivated gardens in this manner.

Arboriculture

The Maya were known to cultivate several species of tree crops in extensive stands. These orchards were up to ten times more productive than maize crops and are much less labor intensive as they do not require weeding, and fruit and nuts can still be collected from the ground after they have fallen. To keep the soil fertile and discourage pests and disease, the Maya most likely used forms of intercropping and removed unwanted species.

Most evidence of arboriculture, such as Cacao, is found in the artistic record as cacao pods have been found on ceramics, stone effigies, and even in tomb vessels throughout the Maya world. Direct evidence from pollen cores and other ethnobotanical evidence has been difficult to detect as much of it has been absorbed into the forest.

Hydraulic Modification

The Maya used hydraulic modification techniques to both irrigate and drain agricultural landscapes. Irrigation canals were used as early as the Middle Preclassic period in the Maya highlands at Kaminaljuyu. Canal systems, such as those constructed at Edzna in Campeche, had multiple uses including rainy season drainage, dry-season irrigation, and possibly defense. Reservoir systems were typically constructed in large regional centers in areas of high population density, and used by rulers as a means to extract tribute, and manipulate political power. Reservoir systems required large amounts of labor input and upkeep, and during seasons of drought, were the only source of fresh drinking water. Category:Terracing Category:Raised Fields Category:Arboriculture Category:Ancient Maya Category:Agriculture Category:Agricultural Methods Category:Irrigation Category:Canals Category:Archaeology

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