![]() ![]() Despite these issues, the success of ancient communities rested on hydraulic systems. Water in swamps, ponds, or karst aquifers is prone to contamination and salinity. ![]() The region is largely a karst environment, which means that water quickly flows through to the groundwater system with limited surface accessibility due to the porous nature of the limestone bedrock. Water in the Maya Lowlands, comprising parts of Mexico and upper Central America (Figure 1), was historically scarce during the dry season, lasting from late May through December and receiving less than ten percent of the annual rainfall. Many ancient societies emerged and urbanized in areas with natural water resources, which elites took advantage of to control hydraulic systems and exact tribute from local populations. Water is an essential resource for sustaining society, communities, and ecology. In understanding how ancient and current populations interacted with and modified their landscapes, our research highlights the potential for solving issues of water scarcity and potability through the creativity and agency of the local population for a direct applied result of collaborative work. Additionally, this research offers an account of how the site’s contemporary residents imagine the terrain in relation to its historical inhabitants, and how this influences their current subsistence patterns. It then uses these data to better hypothesize how the ancient Maya inhabitants may have used these resources in the same landscape. This article focuses on the Salinas de los Nueve Cerros region in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala to highlight contemporary land-use practices among the Q’eqchi’ Maya, their adaptations to flooding, droughts, and uses of different water resources. Seasonal subsistence practices are crucial for survival, especially regarding agriculture, droughts, and flooding. Procuring potable water is an important factor for daily life in the semitropics, especially for contemporary populations in rural Guatemala. ![]()
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