ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES FACED BY A NEW WORLD PEOPLE

The ancient Maya civilization of southeastern Mexico was, without question, the most advanced pre-Columbian culture that ever existed in the Western Hemisphere. These people, who populated Honduras, Guatemala, and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, far surpassed the Aztec, Toltec, Inca, and all native groups in literary ability, engineering, mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and art. Though most of their records were later destroyed by an over zealous Spanish priest, the Maya are known to have made astronomical measurements that were truly amazing. They accurately recorded numerous eclipses, measured the rotation of the planet Venus (with an error of only 14 seconds) and determined the length of the calendar year that differs by only 17 seconds from that used at present. The civilization’s pinnacle was reached some 1,000 years ago in northern Yucatan under the most trying of environmental circumstances. Here, where all soils are residual, the limestone bedrock produced only poor, thin, terra rosa soils that were only marginally fertile and whose nutrients were thoroughly exhausted in a matter of only a few years. Further, because of the total absence of surface streams and freshwater lakes, the Maya, by necessity, developed ingenious ways of collecting and storing water to carry them through the dry season and to irrigate their crops.More amazing is the fact that, in spite of the complete lack of any indigenous sources of metal for tools, a lack of any draft animals, and no apparent utilization of the wheel, the Maya constructed buildings, temples, and other edifices that easily rivaled those erected by the Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans. An intricate network of raised highways connected major cities throughout the northern peninsula and facilitated their trade of salt, chicle, rubber, and ceramic ware with other natives in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and Guatemala. Using only the residual, mixed- layer and kaolinitic soil clays (and authigenic palygorskite clays that were interbedded in some limestones) the Maya of northern Yucatan produced remarkable and intricately decorated pottery and other ceramic products of the highest quality. Hence, these people persevered well in a relatively harsh terrane and proceeded to develop a culture that far surpassed any other in the New World.