Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Subtropical Agronomy On A Variable Landscape: Exploring Late Classic Farming In The Three Rivers Region Through Geotechnical Design And The Distribution Ofedaphic Variables, Byron Smith

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

It has been well documented that the Classic Maya (250 CE to 900 CE) utilized a variety of agricultural techniques to stimulate their subsistence economy. As a result of the variable topography of the region and soil erosion caused by deforestation, the Classic Maya’s primary method of agricultural expansion consisted of landscape modifications through soil distribution (Turner and Harrison 1983; Beach et al.2006). The terracing of hill slopes is one such modification that would have allowed the ability to maximize agricultural production and limit soil erosion through the creation of farming platforms on hillside slopes. Past research near the ceremonial …