Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere

Scholars studying the Classic Maya have long been fascinated by the role of the environment in understanding the rise, fall, and fluorescence of Maya society. First perceived as a limiting environment, landscape was used to frame a hidden and mysterious civilization with empty and dispersed ceremonial centers. Fifty years ago, scholars working at Tikal, Guatemala challenged these interpretations, offering new perspectives about the relationship between Maya cities and their landscapes. Today, advancements in remote sensing are further transforming what we know about Maya civilization, urbanization, and the ecology of ancient cities. In this presentation, Timothy Murtha (UF Center for Latin American Studies) will review the recent National Science Foundation sponsored research at Tikal and across the Maya lowlands, designed to document and describe what is now known about past patterns of cities and landscapes. He will also describe how advancements in remote sensing, specifically LiDAR, are changing the understanding of the Ancient Maya Landscape. Once shrouded by the tropical canopy, the lowland Maya mosaic is embedded with a critical human narrative of agriculture, household, community, and landscape resilience.

Sponsored by the Center for Latin American Studies, School of Art + Art History, and the Gainesville Society of the Archaeological Institute of America.