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The urban hydrology and hydraulic engineering at the classic maya site of Palenque

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Abstract

This research explores a new method for the study of urban hydrology and hydraulics at the ancient Maya site of Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico. The conceptual hydrologic framework together with modern digital terrain, landcover class and soils are used to create virtual assessments of how various climate and landuse scenarios may have impacted the long-term hydrology and streamflow conditions for the Palenque watershed and urban center. The utility of understanding how landscape alteration and climate affect a watershed’s function and output is a critical component of modern and ancient water management studies. In this study we evaluate the hydraulic design of the water management features at Palenque against extreme meteorological events over 100 year periods during Maya occupation. We pose the question: How successful were the Maya in coping with droughts, floods and water supply that evolve from their own hydraulic designs and urban hydrologic manipulations? The hydroarchaeological method demonstrated here is shown to be a plausible strategy for evaluating the impact of Maya water manipulation strategies on urban development.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the following people for their involvement in our research: Joshua A. Balcells, Ed Barnhart, Colin Duffy, Jim Eckhardt, Juan Antonio Ferrer, Elisabeth Flores Torruco, Roberto García Moll, Arnoldo González Cruz, Margarita E. González, Kenneth Hirth, Carol Karasik, Alonso Mendez, Julia Miller, George Milner, Alfonso Morales, Moises Morales, Christopher Powell, Merle Greene Robertson, William T. Sanders, Vernon Scarborough, Kirk Straight, Benito Venegas, and David Webster. We would also like to thank the reviewers of this manuscript and their helpful suggestions. In addition, we would like to thank the following institutions for their support: The Departments of Anthropology and Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University, the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., the National Science Foundation, and most importantly, the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, 409 Carpenter Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Kirk D. French

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Christopher J. Duffy & Gopal Bhatt

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  1. Kirk D. French
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  2. Christopher J. Duffy
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  3. Gopal Bhatt
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Correspondence to Kirk D. French.

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French, K.D., Duffy, C.J. & Bhatt, G. The urban hydrology and hydraulic engineering at the classic maya site of Palenque. Water Hist 5, 43–69 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12685-012-0069-4

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