Hammond, GA; (2016) Ancient Maya Settlement and the Alacranes Bajo: Landscape and Communities in the Three Rivers Region. Doctoral thesis (PhD), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

This thesis represents the archaeological investigation of a distinctive zone of the Three Rivers Region (TRR) of far northwestern Belize. The zone is dominated by the Alacranes Bajo, a seasonally inundated karstic depression bordered by the settlements of Nojol Nah and Tulix Mul. Understanding the relationship of the settlements to the bajo and to the wider political landscape of the TRR makes an important contribution to our knowledge of land use by the ancient Maya. My research seeks to discover whether the settlements on the eastern edge of the Alacranes Bajo could be described as bajo-centric. That is, were they specifically located with the purpose of utilising the bajo’s resources? Or, do the settlements fit a wider pattern characteristic of the TRR in areas without bajos? To address these questions, excavations were undertaken of households, monumental structures, and selected landscape features associated with Nojol Nah and Tulix Mul. The results of the excavations--chronology of settlement, status of occupants, nature of local and regional economy as well as analyses of burials and artefacts--are described and assessed within the local, regional and inter-regional context.

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