Abstract:
After a brief introduction of the tropical world and the ancestral Maya, I describe their sophisticated reservoir systems in 100’s of cities that served as the foundation for royal power and supplied drinking water during the dry season to dispersed farmers for over 1,000 years. I posit that ancient Maya reservoirs were what are referred to today as constructed wetlands. The major factor, however, in their enduring history was their inclusive, non-anthropocentric worldview that resulted in collaborative relations with the nonhuman world. This kind of engagement is critical at present when devising strategies to address future water needs and to improve water security.
Bio:
Lisa J. Lucero is a professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow. As an archaeologist, her interests focus on ritual and power, water management, the impact of climate change on society, sustainability in tropical regions, and the ancestral Maya. She has been conducting archaeology in Belize for over 35 years, authoring seven books and an array of articles and book chapters. She uses insights from past and present Maya knowledge and practices to promote sustainable strategies to address global climate change, detailed in a forthcoming book Maya Wisdom and the Survival of Our Planet (Oxford University Press, January 2025).
