A study of settlement dynamics at the Maya site of la Joyanca in Guatemala. Topics include subsis... more A study of settlement dynamics at the Maya site of la Joyanca in Guatemala. Topics include subsistence strategies and adaptations, social organisation and demography. French text.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2008
... Según los datos de reconocimiento de la zona residencial (Lemonnier y Michelet 2004), las dif... more ... Según los datos de reconocimiento de la zona residencial (Lemonnier y Michelet 2004), las diferencias cuantitativas entre grupos monumentales y grupos modestos muestran una jerarquía social clara: por un lado los primeros totalizan el 25% de las estructuras de la zona ...
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Feb 1, 2021
Abstract This paper deals with the identification of past slash-and-burn agriculture in soils. Sl... more Abstract This paper deals with the identification of past slash-and-burn agriculture in soils. Slash-and-burn is inferred to have been used by ancient people since the emergence of agriculture but its detection in archaeological and paleoenvironmental records often remains ambiguous, mainly because we lack knowledge about how agrarian fires are recorded in soils. We study charcoal assemblages from profiles excavated in four contemporary farm plots in the tropical forest of northern Guatemala, in order to provide a baseline of the slash-and-burn signature. By combining analyses of charcoal >2 mm (pedoanthracology) with infra-millimetric charcoal 100–400 µm, we compare charcoal concentration, distribution of size classes, morphotypes and taxon spectra between plots and between layers in each profile. Our results show that 1) different practices (length of cultivation cycle, duration of use, number of fires) leave different charcoal assemblages; 2) soil structure and porosity seem to greatly impact the preservation of the slash-and-burn signal by modifying the degree of infiltration of infra-millimetric charcoal; 3) infra-millimetric particles identified as Asteraceae achenes are homogenously abundant in the profiles, suggesting that achenes have a different behavior in soils compared to the other particles, and that they might be more impacted by aerial transport. Our study shows that the combination of pedoanthracology with analysis of infra-millimetric soil charcoal has the potential to track changing slash-and-burn regimes, and thus to clarify spatial–temporal patterns of agriculture intensification and extensification in people history.
La gestion des ressources en milieu intertropical a de tout temps constitue un enjeu crucial pour... more La gestion des ressources en milieu intertropical a de tout temps constitue un enjeu crucial pour l’essor et la prosperite des societes complexes. L’eco-socio-systeme de Naachtun, grande cite maya de la periode Classique (250-950 apr. J.-C.), est au cœur de cette problematique. Il est etudie sous l’angle de la variabilite des ressources en eau et en sol, laquelle depend du climat de l’environnement et des societes. L’hydrosysteme et l’agrosysteme sont caracterises au moyen d’une approche systemique et multi-scalaire permettant l’etude des variabilites, des usages et de la gestion de ces deux ressources sous l’influence du climat et des populations. Occupee durant pres d’un millenaire (150 – 950/1000 apr. J.-C.), la cite de Naachtun se distingue par son implantation au bord d’une vaste zone humide (bajo) qui a manifestement joue un role central dans son implantation et son developpement, tant pour les usages de l’eau que pour son potentiel agricole.
Traditionally, settlement archeology of the Classic Maya Lowlands recognizes several intermediate... more Traditionally, settlement archeology of the Classic Maya Lowlands recognizes several intermediate residential units between the house and the site. For over 50 years, the concept of neighborhood has been mentioned occasionally, but conclusive case studies are still rare. Yet the concept raises the important issue of the internal social structures of communities and their relationships. After briefly describing the methods that have helped identify intermediate units in the recently studied sites of La Joyanca (Petén, Guatemala) and Yaxché (Yucatan, Mexico), we consider the implications of such units within their larger social and political landscapes.
With its overall settlement pattern more dispersed than those of other contemporary Maya sites, a... more With its overall settlement pattern more dispersed than those of other contemporary Maya sites, and many associated land use features still preserved, the spatial layout of the Río Bec nuclear zone (159 ha) leads us to give priority to the hypothesis of a production economy based on infield agriculture. Through a multidisciplinary and multiscalar research strategy, including several geoarchaeological methods developed on three different spatial scales, it is possible to forward a model of territorial occupation and land use for the Río Bec apogee period (a.d. 700-850). Geographical and archaeological data, along with chronological and spatial analyses, allow us to reconstruct a built field system made up of distinct agricultural production units. From a socioeconomic perspective, the model suggests that agricultural production was managed at the household scale and that each unit or farmstead was distinct and autonomous from its neighbors.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Oct 1, 2019
The presence of the chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) in all Italian regions, within altitude limi... more The presence of the chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) in all Italian regions, within altitude limits depending on latitude, and in very different exposure and soil conditions, favored the formation of a rich patrimony of cultivars. In the course of several centuries of cultivation a number of genotypes appeared and were selected, also by virtue of a widespread habit of propagating the tree by seed; these genotypes differ for numerous traits, particularly for those relating to the fruit, but plant resistance to biotic and abiotic factors has been important in the selection process. However, the large existing genetic patrimony is increasingly at risk of genetic erosion and it is extremely important to study and valorize local germplasm in order to preserve the existing biodiversity and to identify potentially useful characters for a revival of the Italian chestnut industry. The purpose of this study was to characterize genetically, with eight nSSR (di-and trinucleotide, CsCAT and EMCs series respectively) markers, 54 ancient chestnut accessions widespread in a small area of Northern Italy. The set of chosen markers resulted as a whole highly polymorphic, and made possible the characterization of all studied accessions. The use of only three markers allowed the identification of 28 distinct genetic profiles. Data were analyzed by cluster analysis, and results demonstrated a vast genetic variability within the population. The nSSR used, moreover, allowed us to identify most unknown accessions and possible homonyms and synonyms, and cases of intravarietal clones within the local germplasm.
A study of settlement dynamics at the Maya site of la Joyanca in Guatemala. Topics include subsis... more A study of settlement dynamics at the Maya site of la Joyanca in Guatemala. Topics include subsistence strategies and adaptations, social organisation and demography. French text.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2008
... Según los datos de reconocimiento de la zona residencial (Lemonnier y Michelet 2004), las dif... more ... Según los datos de reconocimiento de la zona residencial (Lemonnier y Michelet 2004), las diferencias cuantitativas entre grupos monumentales y grupos modestos muestran una jerarquía social clara: por un lado los primeros totalizan el 25% de las estructuras de la zona ...
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Feb 1, 2021
Abstract This paper deals with the identification of past slash-and-burn agriculture in soils. Sl... more Abstract This paper deals with the identification of past slash-and-burn agriculture in soils. Slash-and-burn is inferred to have been used by ancient people since the emergence of agriculture but its detection in archaeological and paleoenvironmental records often remains ambiguous, mainly because we lack knowledge about how agrarian fires are recorded in soils. We study charcoal assemblages from profiles excavated in four contemporary farm plots in the tropical forest of northern Guatemala, in order to provide a baseline of the slash-and-burn signature. By combining analyses of charcoal >2 mm (pedoanthracology) with infra-millimetric charcoal 100–400 µm, we compare charcoal concentration, distribution of size classes, morphotypes and taxon spectra between plots and between layers in each profile. Our results show that 1) different practices (length of cultivation cycle, duration of use, number of fires) leave different charcoal assemblages; 2) soil structure and porosity seem to greatly impact the preservation of the slash-and-burn signal by modifying the degree of infiltration of infra-millimetric charcoal; 3) infra-millimetric particles identified as Asteraceae achenes are homogenously abundant in the profiles, suggesting that achenes have a different behavior in soils compared to the other particles, and that they might be more impacted by aerial transport. Our study shows that the combination of pedoanthracology with analysis of infra-millimetric soil charcoal has the potential to track changing slash-and-burn regimes, and thus to clarify spatial–temporal patterns of agriculture intensification and extensification in people history.
La gestion des ressources en milieu intertropical a de tout temps constitue un enjeu crucial pour... more La gestion des ressources en milieu intertropical a de tout temps constitue un enjeu crucial pour l’essor et la prosperite des societes complexes. L’eco-socio-systeme de Naachtun, grande cite maya de la periode Classique (250-950 apr. J.-C.), est au cœur de cette problematique. Il est etudie sous l’angle de la variabilite des ressources en eau et en sol, laquelle depend du climat de l’environnement et des societes. L’hydrosysteme et l’agrosysteme sont caracterises au moyen d’une approche systemique et multi-scalaire permettant l’etude des variabilites, des usages et de la gestion de ces deux ressources sous l’influence du climat et des populations. Occupee durant pres d’un millenaire (150 – 950/1000 apr. J.-C.), la cite de Naachtun se distingue par son implantation au bord d’une vaste zone humide (bajo) qui a manifestement joue un role central dans son implantation et son developpement, tant pour les usages de l’eau que pour son potentiel agricole.
Traditionally, settlement archeology of the Classic Maya Lowlands recognizes several intermediate... more Traditionally, settlement archeology of the Classic Maya Lowlands recognizes several intermediate residential units between the house and the site. For over 50 years, the concept of neighborhood has been mentioned occasionally, but conclusive case studies are still rare. Yet the concept raises the important issue of the internal social structures of communities and their relationships. After briefly describing the methods that have helped identify intermediate units in the recently studied sites of La Joyanca (Petén, Guatemala) and Yaxché (Yucatan, Mexico), we consider the implications of such units within their larger social and political landscapes.
With its overall settlement pattern more dispersed than those of other contemporary Maya sites, a... more With its overall settlement pattern more dispersed than those of other contemporary Maya sites, and many associated land use features still preserved, the spatial layout of the Río Bec nuclear zone (159 ha) leads us to give priority to the hypothesis of a production economy based on infield agriculture. Through a multidisciplinary and multiscalar research strategy, including several geoarchaeological methods developed on three different spatial scales, it is possible to forward a model of territorial occupation and land use for the Río Bec apogee period (a.d. 700-850). Geographical and archaeological data, along with chronological and spatial analyses, allow us to reconstruct a built field system made up of distinct agricultural production units. From a socioeconomic perspective, the model suggests that agricultural production was managed at the household scale and that each unit or farmstead was distinct and autonomous from its neighbors.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Oct 1, 2019
The presence of the chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) in all Italian regions, within altitude limi... more The presence of the chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) in all Italian regions, within altitude limits depending on latitude, and in very different exposure and soil conditions, favored the formation of a rich patrimony of cultivars. In the course of several centuries of cultivation a number of genotypes appeared and were selected, also by virtue of a widespread habit of propagating the tree by seed; these genotypes differ for numerous traits, particularly for those relating to the fruit, but plant resistance to biotic and abiotic factors has been important in the selection process. However, the large existing genetic patrimony is increasingly at risk of genetic erosion and it is extremely important to study and valorize local germplasm in order to preserve the existing biodiversity and to identify potentially useful characters for a revival of the Italian chestnut industry. The purpose of this study was to characterize genetically, with eight nSSR (di-and trinucleotide, CsCAT and EMCs series respectively) markers, 54 ancient chestnut accessions widespread in a small area of Northern Italy. The set of chosen markers resulted as a whole highly polymorphic, and made possible the characterization of all studied accessions. The use of only three markers allowed the identification of 28 distinct genetic profiles. Data were analyzed by cluster analysis, and results demonstrated a vast genetic variability within the population. The nSSR used, moreover, allowed us to identify most unknown accessions and possible homonyms and synonyms, and cases of intravarietal clones within the local germplasm.
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