Ictioarqueología del Mundo Maya: evaluando la pesca prehispánica (250-1550 d.C) de las Tierras Bajas del Norte

Zusammenfassung

ABSTRACT: This thesis represents the first systematic study on Maya ictihoarcheology and it is a fundamental contribution to evaluate the pre- Hispanic fishing practices, as well as fish use and consumption from an interdisciplinary perspective that includes theoretical and methodological implication from both biological and archaeological perspectives. The ichthyoarchaeological analyses conducted on Classic (250-900 AD) and Postclassic (900-1450 d.C) settlements produced data that invite us to rethink the traditional paradigms on fishing at the Maya world. From a cultural perspective, the data obtained aim to review the proposed bony-fishes processing at coastal sites and their transportation for later consumption at inland sites; while the trade of sharks' teeth and ray spines from the coasts to inland settlements for ritual purposes is confirmed. In an ecological scope the ichthyofaunistic record reflected environmental changes along the Northern Lowlands coasts between the Classic and Postclassic periods. Fisheries on the Gulf Coast on northern Yucatan were characterized by high global trophic values during the Classic and reduced values during the Postclassic period, while on the Caribbean coast this pattern is reversed. The fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico coast were likely affected by the droughts reported in the region, between 800 and 1000 d.C, favoring the proliferation of muddy bottoms in the estuaries from the beginning of the Postclassic. On the other hand, the Caribbean fisheries exhibited environmental affections that could be traced since the Classic period while possible recovery during the Postclassic is also recorded. These data exhibit that the apparent ecological stability along the northern Yucatan coasts is questionable and it even makes us rethink the reasons for the abandonment of the coastal sites of northern Yucatan towards the Terminal Classic. In addition, it is also recorded the pre-Hispanic presence of fishes whose current distribution does not include the Mayan coast and it is proposed that the intensification of shark fisheries could be traced back to the Classic period. All this evidence indicates that the ecological conditions of the coasts were far different from the current coastal scenario. The results obtained in this thesis represent a frame of reference for the ichthyoarchaeological and archaeological implications of pre-Hispanic Mayan fisheries. The results also offer a chronologically wide record that contributes to increase the knowledge of historical changes on modern fisheries. KEY WORDS: MAYA AREA, GULF OF MÉXICO, CARIBBEAN SEA, CLASSIC, POSTCLASSIC, ICHTHYOFAUNA, ICHTYOARCHAEOLOGY, OSTEOMETRY, MORFOTIPOLOGY, FISHING, BIOINDICATION, INTENSIFICATION, PALAEOECOLOGY.