Nicholas Dunning                      Timothy Beach                      Pat Farrell                          Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach
University of Cincinnati            Georgetwon University        University of Minnesota    George Mason University

The evolution of the ancient lowland Maya adaptive systems was non-linear in nature.  While there was an overall trend toward greater agricultural intensification culminating in the Late and Terminal Classic periods (A.D. 600-900), a great variety of adaptive strategies were employed across space and time.  Many of these adaptations were clearly in response to the spatial variability of the lowland environment.  Other adaptations were responses to environmental change and social processes.  This article examines adaptations along an environmental gradient extending from the comparatively arid northern plains to the much wetter south.  We propose a heuristic set of ancient agricultural regions to illustrate the range of adaptive responses across the Maya Lowlands.

Keywords: agriculture, geography, environment, adaptive variability, Ancient Maya