Professor Elizabeth Graham
University College London
“The Maya and the Sea: Maritime links, urban connections, and environmental impact”

The Maya site of Marco Gonzalez on Ambergris Caye in Belize has a great deal to tell us about the role of trade and exchange in Maya economy. The site also reveals new information on the long-term impact of human activities on the environment. In addition to documenting the importance of maritime commerce, the history of the site encompasses the dramatic changes generated by the rise and fall of mainland city-states. At the same time, resilience is reflected in the durability of trade and the flexibility of trade networks. Marco Gonzalez and other sites on the cayes and coast are also being studied for the presence of surface soils characterised as ‘dark earths’. These dark earths occur at most if not all locations of Maya settlement on the caye. The sites are commonly ‘looted’ for soil, which locals use in their gardens. Covering all these bases in detail will not be possible in an hour, but I will touch on aspects of the Maya history of the Marco Gonzalez, the relationship of Marco Gonzalez to mainland city centres, and the recent research I am carrying out on environmental impact and soil formation processes.

Location

Richmond Building, J Floor, room J19