LAND RESOURCES OF THE RIO BRAVO CONSERVATION AREA AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PREHISTORIC MAYA SETTLEMENT

_______Prior to the initiation of our archaeological reconnaissance, a preliminary map and land resource evaluation of the Rio Bravo Conservation Area was prepared as a field-guide (Fedick 1988b) using the currently available data (Wright et al. 1959). Modified versions of the land evaluations based on the soils (Table 2) and map (Figure 2) are presented here. The land resources of the Gallon Jug Region and the Rio Bravo Conservation Area can be divided into six general land types, each of which carries different implications for prehistoric Maya land use. These land types consist of 1) well-drained uplands, 2) slow-drained lowlands, 3) riverine-associated swamps, 4) closed-depression seasonal swamps, 5) savannas, and 6) escarpments. Land resource types are distributed differentially over the Rio Bravo Conservation Area and are detailed below. The identified variations have specific consequences for Maya land use and settlement distribution.

Well-Drained Uplands

_______The well-drained uplands consist of rolling limestone hills and ridges with relatively shallow but fertile soils. Although depth to bedrock limits the potential for development of these soils for modern mechanical cultivation, they hold high productive capacity under hand-cultivation systems, such as used by the ancient Maya. The main hazard to cultivation is erosion resulting from forest clearance, particularly on steep hill-sides.

_______Modern Maya farmers consider well-drained upland soils to be the most productive for "traditional" wet season swidden (slash-and-burn) cultivation (see Carter 1969:20-31). Within the well-drained uplands, a variety of intensive cultivation methods can be applied which, if properly managed, would maintain productivity. These methods include sustained yield multi-crop swiddening, fixed plot cultivation incorporating soil amendments to sustain fertility and structure, terracing, arboriculture, and various forms of forest management (see Gomez Pompa 1987; Nations and Nigh 1980; Netting 1977; Puleston 1982; Turner 1983a; Wilken 1987).

_______Archaeological surveys within well-drained uplands in other areas of the central Maya lowlands have documented settlement densities averaging 138 structures per km2 in the upper Belize River area, and 178 structures per km2 in the Tikal core zone of the Peten, Guatemala (Fedick and Ford 1990). The well-drained uplands make up slightly less than half of the Gallon Jug Region (42%) as a whole. This proportion of well-drained uplands is comparable to the Tikal core area and the upper Belize River area of the central Maya lowlands (Figure 3). However, the distribution of this important resource on the east and west of the Booth's River Escarpment is significant. The majority of the Hills Subregion (72%) is classified as well-drained uplands while only 7% of the Lowlands Subregion is classified as such (Table 3). This makes the Hills Subregion particularly attractive for ancient Maya farmers.

Slow-Drained Lowlands

_______Slow-drained lowlands are found in flat to gently undulating areas, with soils developing from soft Miocene limestone and marl. The soils are slow to poorly drained, and are characterized by heavy clays which are of moderate to deficient fertility status. As such, they are very difficult to work under hand-cultivation technology available to the ancient Maya. During the rainy season, the slow-drained lowlands are saturated or flooded and, as a result, they are not suited to wet season swidden cultivation.

_______Modern Maya farmers often use slow-drained lowlands for low intensity production of a dry season crop either as a back-up to guard against poor wet season harvests or as a means of increasing production (Carter 1969:113-119; Culbert et al. 1978; King et al. 1986; Wilk 1985; Wright et al. 1959). Optimum planting times for, and workability of, slow-draining lowlands vary from area to area and from year to year, depending on local precipitation patterns; this poses serious risks for cultivation. Intensifying the cultivation of the slow-draining lowlands would necessitate the construction of drainage ditches and improvement of soil texture and fertility through addition of organic matter.

_______Archaeological surveys within slow-drained lowlands in other areas of the central Maya lowlands have documented settlement densities averaging five structures per km2 in the upper Belize River area, and 46 structures per km2 in the Tikal core area (Fedick and Ford 1990). This implies that these areas were used, to a greater or lesser extent, in a secondary capacity by the ancient Maya. The slow-drained lowlands make up a relatively large portion of the Gallon Jug Region (36%), close to the proportion of well-drained uplands. The distribution of these slow-drained areas, however, is disproportionate between the two subregions (see Table 3). The Hills Subregion has very little slow-drained lowlands (13%), far less than other areas of the central Maya lowlands (see Figure 3), and they are found in small patches scattered throughout the area. The Lowlands Subregion, on the other hand, is dominated by the slow-drained lowlands (63%), similar to the conditions of Northern Belize (see Figure 3).