Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Settlement And Demographic Responses To Environmental Change

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

Under the direction of Dr. Arthur Joyce, Ms. Jessica Hedgepeth Balkin will conduct dissertation research investigating the relationship between ecological change, settlement patterns, and demography in prehispanic times. In Mesoamerica, archaeologists have predominantly argued that populations during the prehispanic urban period (400 BCE-CE 1521) were most often concentrated on highly arable lands such as floodplains. Agricultural surpluses in these settings could be produced based on corn, regarded as the most dependable staple resource. Using archaeological data, Balkin's study explores how landscape change may have led to a divergence from this pattern. On the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, the development of estuaries at the beginning of the urban period may have allowed large settlements to rely on both agricultural and aquatic resources. This study also investigates the notion that there are lag times in demographic and settlement responses to environmental change. Social scientists are increasingly recognizing that both modern and past human populations react to ecological shifts in different ways. The choice to re-settle is complex, and affected by a variety of sociocultural factors, such as labor investments in urban infrastructure. This study is therefore directly relevant to modern population dynamics. Due to its long-term perspective on the development of human societies, archaeology is in a unique position to inform current policy on the potential of populations to cope with major ecological events. Societies have a significant capacity to thrive in challenging environments or climates if they engage in sustainable land use practices. Balkin will conduct an investigation of potential shifts in resource availability and settlement after significant environmental changes. She will lead an interdisciplinary team of geologists and archaeologists, including a soil scientist and archaeology students from both Mexico and the United States. Students will be trained in archaeological methods, giving them an opportunity for professional development. The research will focus on the lower Río Verde Valley on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, a subtropical region with considerable ecological diversity. Zones rich in arable lands and wild resources, including the floodplain and estuaries, took their current shape as large-scale agriculture and urbanism first began to develop in the region. Balkin will address three research objectives related to these environmental and cultural changes. First, the project will investigate whether the agricultural fertility of the lower Verde floodplain was significantly higher than other environmental zones after ecological changes resulted in its expansion (c.a. 400 BCE): was an ecological incentive created for changes in settlement patterns? Methods include soil fertility and geospatial (GIS) analyses. Using archaeological survey, other objectives will focus on settlement pattern shifts in response to the environmental changes. The second objective is to determine whether populations followed the "safe" path by focusing only on the floodplain for agricultural purposes, or if some groups settled near estuaries to exploit fish and shellfish, important sources of protein. The third objective is to evaluate the rate of human response to local environmental shifts: did a lag time in demographic movement occur after the ecological changes, as observed elsewhere in history and modern times?