Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Resilience And Adaptation In A World System Periphery: Long-Term Perspectives From The Lake Atitlan Basin, Highland Guatemala 600 Bc – 1600 Ad, Gavin R. Davies

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

The Lake Atitlan Basin of highland Guatemala boasted fertile soils and was rich in natural resources, making it an attractive area for permanent settlement. However, the region lacked a number of important items, such as salt, cotton, and obsidian, all of which had to be obtained through trade. Good agricultural land was also scarce in certain parts of the lake and the steep hillslopes were easily eroded, making it necessary for communities to maintain access to emergency supplies of corn. Lake Atitlan’s communities were therefore highly dependent on exchanges with neighboring groups who occupied contrasting ecological zones, especially those in …