Origins and spread of formal ceremonial complexes in the Olmec and Maya regions revealed by airborne lidar

Autor: Flory Pinzón, Daniela Triadan, Miguel García Mollinedo, Timothy Beach, Luis Guerrero Chávez, Ashley E. Sharpe, María de Lourdes Hernández Jiménez, Takeshi Inomata, Antonio Guerra Luna, Atasta Flores, Juan Carlos Fernandez-Diaz, Gregory W. L. Hodgins, M. Hernández, Manuel Moreno Díaz, Juan Javier Durón Díaz
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Nature Human Behaviour. 5:1487-1501
ISSN: 2397-3374
DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01218-1
Popis: City plans symbolizing cosmologies have long been recognized as a defining element of Mesoamerican civilizations. The origins of formal spatial configurations are thus the key to understanding early civilizations in the region. Assessment of this issue, however, has been hindered by the lack of systematic studies of site plans over broad areas. Here, we report the identification of 478 formal rectangular and square complexes, probably dating from 1,050 to 400 bc, through a lidar (laser imaging, detection and ranging) survey across the Olmec region and the western Maya lowlands. Our analysis of lidar data also revealed that the earlier Olmec centre of San Lorenzo had a central rectangular space, which possibly provided the spatial template for later sites. This format was probably formalized and spread after the decline of San Lorenzo through intensive interaction across various regions. These observations highlight the legacy of San Lorenzo and the critical role of inter-regional interaction. Using lidar over an area of 85,000 km2, Inomata et al. identified 478 early ceremonial complexes in southern Mexico. These discoveries offer new information for understanding the origins of Mayan civilization and its relation with the Olmecs.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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