TY - JOUR
T1 - Classic Maya defensive systems and warfare in the petexbatun region
T2 - Archaeological evidence and interpretations
AU - Demarest, Arthur A.
AU - O'Mansky, Matt
AU - Wolley, Claudia
AU - Van Tuerenhout, Dirk
AU - Inomata, Takeshi
AU - Palka, Joel
AU - Escobedo, Héctor
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - From 1989 to 1996, excavation and surveys were carried out at dozens of sites and intersite areas in the southwestern Peten by the Defensive Systems Subproject of the Vanderbilt Petexbatun Regional Archaeological Project and by subsequent related Vanderbilt investigations. The excavations and analyses explored fortification systems, related settlement, and artifactual evidence. Beginning at about A.D. 760, the major centers of the Classic Maya civilization in the Petexbatun region were fortified by a massive expenditure of labor on defensive walls of masonry, usually surmounted by wooden palisades. As warfare accelerated, major centers and later even small hilltop villages were located in highly defensible positions and were fortified by walls, palisades, moats, and baffled gateways. Despite these efforts, all major centers were virtually abandoned by the early ninth century. By A.D. 830, only the island fortress of Punta de Chimino and a very reduced and scattered population remained in the Petexbatun region.
AB - From 1989 to 1996, excavation and surveys were carried out at dozens of sites and intersite areas in the southwestern Peten by the Defensive Systems Subproject of the Vanderbilt Petexbatun Regional Archaeological Project and by subsequent related Vanderbilt investigations. The excavations and analyses explored fortification systems, related settlement, and artifactual evidence. Beginning at about A.D. 760, the major centers of the Classic Maya civilization in the Petexbatun region were fortified by a massive expenditure of labor on defensive walls of masonry, usually surmounted by wooden palisades. As warfare accelerated, major centers and later even small hilltop villages were located in highly defensible positions and were fortified by walls, palisades, moats, and baffled gateways. Despite these efforts, all major centers were virtually abandoned by the early ninth century. By A.D. 830, only the island fortress of Punta de Chimino and a very reduced and scattered population remained in the Petexbatun region.
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U2 - 10.1017/S095653610000170X
DO - 10.1017/S095653610000170X
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0031392332
SN - 0956-5361
VL - 8
SP - 229
EP - 253
JO - Ancient Mesoamerica
JF - Ancient Mesoamerica
IS - 2
ER -