Ancient Mayan civilization flourished in the Yucatán Peninsula, a region rich in surface limestone. While this type of rock doesn’t seem important at first, new research shows that it plays a crucial role in the success of the Mayans. Professor Barbara Voorhies and Dr. George Michaels of the University of California Santa Barbara University explained that limestone provided significant benefits to help the ancient Mayans develop a complex society. Their discovery was published in the journal Quaternary Environment and Humanity.
The most important benefit of limestone is its role in Nicksalization, a method for preparing dry corn or corn before cooking by soaking it in an alkaline solution. This can greatly increase the nutritional value of corn by increasing the availability of essential vitamins and proteins. The ancient Maya made an alkaline solution from burning limestone, which was abundant in the area. This process makes corn (formerly one of many crops) the most important crop. Corn supported a growing ancient Mayan population, which in turn allowed social development. Lack of limestone, other ancient Central American societies had to import lime or rely on other alkaline sources.
Limestone also shapes the Mayan landscape and its access to water. The porous properties of the rock help to form cenotes, which are natural sewage puddles that provide fresh water by providing access to underground rivers. Since there is very little surface water in the area, these cenots are crucial to survival. The researchers believe that access to water may affect the location of Mayan cities to ensure that a large population can continue despite environmental challenges.
Limestone is equally important for construction. The Mayans used it to build their iconic temples, palaces and public buildings. “The abundant limestone easily allowed the Mayans to develop their iconic architectural style, with a large number of pyramids and intricate statues,” explains Professor Voorhies. The facade is the front of the building, often decorated with carvings and sculptures. They also used a plaster made of limestone, called stucco, to create a background of colorful murals and decorative elements, enhancing the aesthetics of its structure.
Despite much attention to the cultural and intellectual achievements of the ancient Mayans, this study highlights how the natural environment plays a key role in its development. “Our research shows that the geological environment of the Yucatan Peninsula provided unexpected but crucial advantages for the ancient Mayans to develop advanced agricultural, construction and water management systems,” the authors noted. “Water management refers to how society collects, stores and distributes water to support daily life and agriculture.
In addition to the ancient Mayan civilization, this study also sheds light on how the environment affects human society. By studying the connection between natural resources and civilization, researchers have gained a deeper understanding of how people adapt to their surroundings. The discovery of Professor Voorhies and Dr. Michaels highlights the importance of studying nature and culture together, revealing how resources like limestone shape history.
Journal Reference
Voorhies B., Michaels GH “Ancient Mayans and Limestone.” Quaternary Environment and Humans, 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.qeh.2024.100028
About the Author
Dr. Barbara Voorhies He is Emerita Professor and Research Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). She received her PhD in 1969 at Yale University. She is an archaeologist who works in ancient society in Central America. Her research focuses mainly on the pre-agricultural period on the southwestern coast of Mexico, but she also studied ancient Mayans in Guatemala and Belize. She has edited, co-authored or written books and ten books and many articles at UCSB and the University of Colorado at Boulder, and has chaired the Department of Anthropology.
Dr. George H. Michaels is Executive Director of Teaching Development at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Anthropology from Texas A&M University in 1980 and 1987, respectively. In 1993, majoring in anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research focuses on lithologic process specialization, quantitative methods of archaeology, and computer applications in archaeological data management and analysis. He made a significant contribution to the development of computer-assisted teaching materials to teach archaeology at the undergraduate level. Dr. Michaels has authored over 30 publications in archaeology and computer-assisted teaching and is on the editorial board of editorial boards Oxford Archaeological Companion (1996 ed.). Additionally, he has served and chaired many university-wide academic committees throughout his career.
