Traditional+Adaptive+Strategies

Traditional Adaptive Strategy

Mayans first settled in the Yucatan Peninsula as hunter-gatherers. The area in which they first started had a lot of land and was very environmentally diverse. The land consisted of volcanic mountains, valleys, swamp, rainforest, and dry forest. The large diversity in land forced the Mayans to develop many adaptive techniques and strategies. (Schele & Freidel pg. 39)



As the traditional Mayans entered the agriculture stage, they developed a variety of farming methods to fit in with their environment. Those who lived in the forest conducted the swidden agriculture (more commonly known as the slash and burn method), which is still being used in the region today. The slash and burn method is when the farmers cut down a large section of the forest. They then burn the trees that were cut down and use the ash as fertilizer for their plants. This method was especially popular in ancient Maya because it required very little technology or tools. For those who lived in the rain forest regions, the trees were cut and then left to dry, then burned during the dry season. Swidden agriculture was a good way to grow food, but it required constant moving because the land usually stopped being productive after two or three years. Another problem with slash and burn agriculture was that it can only support a small population, thus, the Maya had to come up with a better way of growing food to be able to grow into a larger population (Ardren pg. 32).

For the population of Mayans that lived on the mountains or valleys where there was a lack of flat lands, they used a form of terracing slopes to grow their crops. This type of agriculture help prevent erosion and surface runoff and is still being used in different parts of the world today.

For the population of Mayans that lived in the swamps and rivers, the technique of raising of fields was used to control the amount of water given to the crops (Ardren pg. 13). It was also in those areas that Mayans first used an early form of irrigation.

Even in the rainforest, the early Mayan ran into the problem of not having enough fresh water even to drink. The area of rainforest in which they lived had dry season where the only source of water was a few hundred feet underground. This could sometime be reached by climbing down dangerous limestone caves. The main source of water the ancient Mayans had was from the occasional rain. Thus, they dug an intricate network of canals within their cities and villages in order to redirect and reuse the rain water (Schele & Freidel pg. 61). As the ancient Mayans became better and more efficient at agriculture, they began to grow more than just corn. Maize, beans, squashes, chili peppers, cotton, and sweet potatoes were among the many plants the ancient Mayan grew to supplement their diet. The food made from these early farms was usually just enough to feed the population. Any surplus food was then stored underground or in wooden crates above ground. The Mayan economy would then based mainly on trading craftwork such as clothing and pottery. Spices became the valued commodity later on when the Mayan comes in contact with European traders. The changes of season had such an impact on the Mayan's agriculture that most of their wars were fought during time of dry season so that it do not affect the farmer's ability to take care of their farms (Schele & Freidel pg. 62). Just like many farming groups around the word, the ancient Mayan farmers lived in extended family organized in a way to make sure that there were always enough people to help out even during the peak periods of work (Schele & Freidel pg.40).

Citation Schele, Linda & Freidel, David 1990 A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya William Morrow and Company, Inc., New York Ardren, Traci 2002 Ancient Maya Women AltaMira Press, California