Google Earth has found a treasure trove beneath some wetlands. The web of webs that started a civilization: Maya

The number of Maya discoveries in recent decades is astonishing. This is surprising because we are talking about a civilization with a history of more than 3,500 years, which was one of the most developed cultures of ancient times. There have been many discoveries that have told us how incredibly practical they were in building their empire and now, digging through extensive wetlands, archaeologists have found the key to their origins.

Ancestral innovation. At the beginning of the Maya civilization, before the iconic temples were built, their predecessors were already changing the environment in the Yucatán Peninsula. Communities located in what is now Belize transformed the extensive wetlands into a network of canals and ponds designed to capture freshwater fish, enough to feed thousands of people annually.

The system, located in the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, was recently mapped by archaeologist Eleanor Harrison-Buck and her team, who used data from drones and Google Earth to analyze 108 kilometers of canals covering 42 square kilometres. Had used. Radiocarbon dating shows that this infrastructure, a kilometre-long zigzag linear pattern, is at least 4,000 years old.

The ultimate cheat system. In their work, the researchers say that, during the rainy season, marshy areas flood and fish spawn in the wetlands. Excavations in the area revealed barbed spears, tools that were probably tied to sticks and used for fishing. This system allowed fish to be taken into ponds where they would become trapped when the water was low during the dry season, making them easier to catch.

This system also took advantage of the natural behavior of fish, allowing residents to easily collect them during times of low abundance. According to the study’s calculations, the network could produce enough fish to feed about 15,000 people per year, which would require preservation methods such as salting, drying or smoking. These channels reflect not only innovation but also quick adaptation to ensure food security.

Construction and use of canals. As we said at the beginning, the team explains that the canals were built by semi-nomadic communities in the Yucatán coastal plain about 4,000 years ago. They were used for at least 1,000 years, including the early period when the Maya began to establish permanent agricultural villages and develop a distinct culture.

The scale of these early landscape modifications also shows that societies at this time were already organized and had advanced abilities to alter their environment.

Impact on Maya emergence. While the Maya economy is known for the cultivation of corn and the drainage of wetlands to create elevated fields, as they recall in the work, this network shows that fishing was equally important for the development of sedentary settlements and Maya social complexity. It was original in form.

In other words, the trap system explored supplemental agricultural production, showing how these communities modified their environment to maximize food resources.

Archaeological evidence and continuity over time. But there is more. Apparently, archaeologists found remains of Preclassic Maya ceramics in the sediments of the canals, indicating that this system continued in use even as the great Maya cities developed.

Although most of the canals have filled with sediment over time, studies show that the ponds still stock fish during the dry season, according to reports from local residents.

Engineering and historical relevance. No doubt, the crooked tree network once again demonstrates the ability of the ancient Maya to transform the landscape, in this case into permanent infrastructure. Built around 2000 BC, at the end of the Archaic period and before the Early Paleolithic, this innovation, according to the authors, marked a turning point in the development of their society.

Although no evidence has been found that the Preclassic Maya provided ongoing maintenance to the network, its design and early functionality left a legacy that is still visible from the air during the dry season, when the location of the canals was obscured by dense vegetation. It shows.

In short, proof of the ability of the ancient Maya to adapt to their environment and guarantee food security through innovative strategies. The system, together with already known agricultural techniques, confirms the ingenuity of civilization to reconfigure vast landscapes for the benefit of its survival and cultural evolution, showing that fish, like corn, is an integral part of its society. It was necessary for upliftment.

Image | Fernando Flores, Google Earth

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