Classic Maya Political Ecology

Resource Management, Class Histories, and Political Change in Northwestern Belize

edited by Jon C. Lohse

Book cover: Classic Maya Political Ecology

Extent: 256 pages

Publisher: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press

Subjects: Archaeology of the Americas

Series: Ideas, Debates, and Perspectives

Series volume number: 6

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(April 2013)

ISBN: 9781931745703

8.46 x 10.94 inches

Price: $67.00

In stock

PDF (Published)

(December 2013)

ISBN: 9781938770463

Price: $45.00

Data spanning the Archaic to Early Postclassic are presented, with particular analytical focus given to the end of the Early Classic through the Late and Terminal Classic and the geopolitical tumult that defined this period. Cast in the framework of political ecology, together these studies not only shed light on specific class histories of the region. They also advance a theory for understanding the contributions of non-elites to political growth and change over time. Classic Maya Political Ecology opens a window into pre-Columbian political processes grounded in environmental productivity and a mutual interdependence that defined class relations in northwestern Belize. This volume also outlines a theoretical approach that defines commoners and elites alike as political actors, people who contributed to the long term success and adaptability of local and regional political communities and the networks that sustained them.

  • Edited by Jon C. Lohse