The Maya Forest Garden : Eight Millennia of Sustainable Cultivation of the Tropical Woodlands / Anabel Ford and Ronald Nigh.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ford, Anabel, author.

Nigh, Ronald, author.

Contributor:

George Clapp Vaillant Book Fund.

Series:

New frontiers in historical ecology ; v. 6.

New frontiers in historical ecology ; Vol. 6

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mayas--Agriculture.

Mayas.

Indians of Mexico--Agriculture.

Indians of Mexico.

Indians of Central America--Agriculture.

Indians of Central America.

Physical Description:

260 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Walnut Creek, California : Left Coast Press, Inc., [2015]

Summary:

"The conventional wisdom says that the devolution of Classic Maya civilization occurred because its population grew too large and dense to be supported by primitive neotropical farming methods, resulting in debilitating famines and internecine struggles. Using research on contemporary Maya farming techniques and important new archaeological research, Ford and Nigh refute this Malthusian explanation of events in ancient Central America and posit a radical alternative theory. The authors show that ancient Maya farmers developed ingenious, sustainable woodland techniques to cultivate numerous food plants (including the staple maize); examine both contemporary tropical farming techniques and the archaeological record (particularly regarding climate) to reach their conclusions; make the argument that these ancient techniques, still in use today, can support significant populations over long periods of time."-- Provided by publisher.

"The conventional wisdom says that the devolution of classic Maya civilization occurred because its population grew too large and dense to be supported by primitive neotropical farming methods, resulting in debilitating famines and internecine struggles. Using research on contemporary Maya farming techniques and important new archaeological research, Ford and Nigh refute this Malthusian explanation of events in ancient Central America and posit a radical alternative theory. The authors -show that ancient Maya farmers developed ingenious, sustainable woodland techniques to cultivate numerous food plants (including the staple maize); -examine both contemporary tropical farming techniques and the archaeological record (particularly regarding climate) to reach their conclusions; -make the argument that these ancient techniques, still in use today, can support significant populations over long periods of time"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

List of illustrations

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Prosperity across centuries

Chapter 1. The context of the Maya Forest

Chapter 2. Dwelling in the Maya Forest : the high-performance milpa

Chapter 3. Environmental change and the historical ecology of the Maya Forest

Chapter 4. Maya land use, the milpa, and population in the Late Classic period

Chapter 5. The forested landscape of the Maya

Chapter 6. Maya restoration agriculture as conservation for the twenty-first century

Appendix A. Basket of Mesoamerican cultivated plants

Appendix B. Favored trees.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 211-250) and index.

Machine generated contents note: Introduction: Chapter 1: The Context of the Maya Forest Chapter 2: Dwelling in the Maya Forest Chapter 3: Environmental Change and the Historical Ecology of the Maya Forest Chapter 4: Maya Land Use and Population in the Late Classic Period Chapter 5: Forested Landscape of the Ancient Maya Chapter 6: Maya Restoration Agriculture as Conservation for the 21st Century Appendix I: Native Cultigens Appendix II: Favored Trees References Index About the Authors.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the George Clapp Vaillant Book Fund.

ISBN:

9781611329988

9781611329971

1611329973

1611329981

OCLC:

894750131

Publisher Number:

99966977884