Classic Maya Politics and Economy: Using GIS to Reveal the Archaeological Signatures

Author: Timothy Michael Murtha, Jr.
Organization: Pennsylvania State University

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tmm184@psu.edu

Classic Maya politics and economy have been typically reconstructed through interpretations of monumental architecture and sculpture. GIS technology, specifically ArcView GIS, now provides the opportunity to quantify archaeological reconstructions using a variety of spatial analyses. In the fall of 1998, more than 15 years of research at Caracol, Belize, was incorporated into ArcView GIS. We now possess the technology to more accurately measure and predict patterns of political and economic interaction during the Classic Period. This paper presents and analyzes data from Caracol, as well as three other large classic Maya sites: Tikal, Calakmul, and Copan.