Papers by Jeffrey Brewer
Latin American Antiquity, 2021
In this study, we present new data from the ancient Maya site of Yaxnohcah in southern Mexico. Th... more In this study, we present new data from the ancient Maya site of Yaxnohcah in southern Mexico. These data, which are drawn from lidar-based GIS analysis, field inspection, and the excavation of two small, closed depressions, suggest that many of this site's features served a dual function. Quarrying to extract construction materials left behind closed depressions that were then sealed to create household reservoirs. We classify these water-storage features as quarry-reservoirs. The ubiquity of these small quarry-reservoirs represented an important community water source outside the sphere of direct elite control.
High-resolution airborne lidar has been employed in the Maya lowlands to examine landscape modifi... more High-resolution airborne lidar has been employed in the Maya lowlands to examine landscape modifications, detect architectural features, and expedite and expand upon traditional settlement surveys. Another potentially beneficial—and to-date underutilized—application of lidar is in the analysis of water management features such as small reservoirs and household storage tanks. The urban center of Yaxnohcah, located within the Central Karstic Uplands of the Yucatan Peninsula, provides an ideal test case for studying how the residents of this important Maya community managed their seasonally scarce water resources at the household scale. We employ an integrative approach combining lidar-based GIS analysis of 24 km 2 of the site area, ground verification, and excavation data from five small depressions to determine their function and the role they may have played in water management activities. Our research shows that some, but not all, small depressions proximate to residential structur...
The design and construction of earthquake resistant structures can counter the aspect of the eart... more The design and construction of earthquake resistant structures can counter the aspect of the earthquake hazard with effective application of engineering knowledge. Most seismic design codes today include the nonlinear response of a structure implicitly through 'Response reduction factor'(R) by IS 1893 (Part I):2002.This factor allows a designer to use a linear elastic force-based design while accounting for non-linear behavior and deformation limits. Performance based seismic design method which is recent path of seismic assessment, both efficient and effective to avoid future earthquake losses. In this work, performance based seismic design of buildings by pushover analysis method in four different seismic zones II, III, IV and V studied. For analysis building models of G+12, G+16 and G+20 stories, plan rectangular shaped generated by a computer program SAP 2000(version 19).In this present work attempt is made to study and obtained Response Reduction Factor in different zones II, III, IV and V. Also different parameters like displacement, drift, pushover curves, performance point and plastic hinge mechanism studied.
The design and construction of earthquake resistant structures can counter the aspect of the eart... more The design and construction of earthquake resistant structures can counter the aspect of the earthquake hazard with effective application of engineering knowledge. Most seismic design codes today include the nonlinear response of a structure implicitly through 'Response reduction factor'(R) by IS 1893 (Part I):2002.This factor allows a designer to use a linear elastic force-based design while accounting for non-linear behavior and deformation limits. Performance based seismic design method which is recent path of seismic assessment, both efficient and effective to avoid future earthquake losses. In this work, performance based seismic design of buildings by pushover analysis method in four different seismic zones II, III, IV and V studied. For analysis building models of G+12, G+16 and G+20 stories, plan rectangular shaped generated by a computer program SAP 2000(version 19).In this present work attempt is made to study and obtained Response Reduction Factor in different zones II, III, IV and V. Also different parameters like displacement, drift, pushover curves, performance point and plastic hinge mechanism studied.
Latin American Antiquity, 2021
In this study, we present new data from the ancient Maya site of Yaxnohcah in southern Mexico. Th... more In this study, we present new data from the ancient Maya site of Yaxnohcah in southern Mexico. These data, which are drawn from lidar-based GIS analysis, field inspection, and the excavation of two small, closed depressions, suggest that many of this site's features served a dual function. Quarrying to extract construction materials left behind closed depressions that were then sealed to create household reservoirs. We classify these water-storage features as quarry-reservoirs. The ubiquity of these small quarry-reservoirs represented an important community water source outside the sphere of direct elite control.
Ancient Mesoamerica, 2018
Multiple studies conducted over the past few decades have recognized the necessity of rainwater c... more Multiple studies conducted over the past few decades have recognized the necessity of rainwater collection and storage as a critical aspect in the evolution of Maya civilization. Few of these efforts, however, have emphasized the importance of managing water resources at the household level. Data are presented from two central lowland sites—the dispersed hinterland community of Medicinal Trail and the urban center of Yaxnohcah—that elucidate the function of small reservoirs and associated landscape modifications in residential water management. Despite differing physical geographies and trajectories of urban development, residents of both communities were clearly engaged in water management activities based, at least in part, on the creation and use of small reservoirs. Decentralized household water management practices appear to have been temporally and spatially widespread components of Maya civilization beginning in the Preclassic period.
For the ancient Maya, the collection and storage of rainfall were necessary requirements for sust... more For the ancient Maya, the collection and storage of rainfall were necessary requirements for sustainable occupation in the interior portions of the lowlands in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. The importance of managing water resources at the household level, in the form of small natural or culturally modified tanks, has recently been recognized as a spatially and temporally widespread complement to a reliance on the larger, centralized reservoirs that occupied most urban centers. Emerging evidence indicates that these residential tanks functioned to satisfy a variety of domestic water needs beginning in the Middle Preclassic (1000 – 400 BC) period.
The research presented in this dissertation aims to clarify the role of small topographical depressions in ancient Maya domestic water management utilizing a combination of satellite remote sensing and archaeological excavation to identify, survey, and evaluate small household tanks. The three research articles included here focus on the lidar identification and subsequent archaeological investigation of these features at the central lowland sites of Yaxnohcah in southern Campeche, Mexico and Medicinal Trail in northwestern Belize. In addition to clarifying the origin and functions of these reservoirs, their role within the broader mosaic of ancient Maya water management infrastructure and practices, particularly within the Elevated Interior Region (EIR) of the Yucatán Peninsula is also explored. This original research supplements existing archaeological, environmental, and remote sensing studies of ancient Maya civilization and contributes to the advancement of Maya studies by: (1) providing a scheme for identifying closed depressions as probable water features within lidar imagery; (2) placing household tanks within the larger framework of ancient Maya water systems and practices; and (3) identifying spatial and temporal linkages between household tanks and differing levels of urban development in the Maya lowlands.
High-resolution airborne lidar has been employed in the Maya lowlands to examine landscape modifi... more High-resolution airborne lidar has been employed in the Maya lowlands to examine landscape modifications, detect architectural features, and expedite and expand upon traditional settlement surveys. Another potentially beneficial—and to-date underutilized—application of lidar is in the analysis of water management features such as small reservoirs and household storage tanks. The urban center of Yaxnohcah, located within the Central Karstic Uplands of the Yucatan Peninsula, provides an ideal test case for studying how the residents of this important Maya community managed their seasonally scarce water resources at the household scale. We employ an integrative approach combining lidar-based GIS analysis of 24 km 2 of the site area, ground verification, and excavation data from five small depressions to determine their function and the role they may have played in water management activities. Our research shows that some, but not all, small depressions proximate to residential structures functioned as either natural or human-made storage tanks and were likely an adaptive component of expanding Middle Preclassic to Classic period urbanization at the site. Thus, while lidar has revolutionized the identification of topographical features and hydrologic patterns in the landscape, a combination of ground verification and archaeological testing remains necessary to confirm and evaluate these features as potential water reservoirs.
Small depressions are a widespread feature across the landscape of northwestern Belize.
Conference Presentations by Jeffrey Brewer
Year-round occupation of interior portions of the Maya Lowlands necessitated a sustainable system... more Year-round occupation of interior portions of the Maya Lowlands necessitated a sustainable system of rainwater capture and storage. Recent studies have shown that Classic period Maya populations relied, in part, on the modification and use of small depressions to satisfy their water needs at the household level. Data from three field seasons at the site of Yaxnohcah—derived from lidar analysis, pedestrian survey, and archaeological excavation—reveals the location, dimensions, origin, and function of eight of these features. Excavation data indicates that at least some of these water tanks (N=5) evolved from quarries, which were lined with a watertight seal following the extraction of limestone for building material. Lidar-directed pedestrian survey identified many additional depressions suitable for water storage, and displaying evidence of quarrying activity, close to residential structures. Supplementary water management and residential data from Yaxnohcah emphasize the spatial and temporal relationships between construction, settlement, and water storage at the site throughout the Classic period.
Many early Maya cities developed along the edges of large structural or karst depressions (bajos)... more Many early Maya cities developed along the edges of large structural or karst depressions (bajos). This topographic position aided growing populations to more effectively capture and store rainwater, a necessity for year-round occupation of interior portions of the Maya Lowlands. However, forest clearance on sloping terrain led to accelerated soil loss and the aggradation of the bajo margins. These newly created margins of colluvial lands became a focus of subsequent intensive agriculture and helped underwrite further urban expansion. This long-term landscape transformation is documented with data derived from field investigations at La Milpa, San Bartolo, Tikal, Yaxnohcah, and other Maya centers.
Airbone lidar presents a valuable tool to investigate water management in a water-scarce region o... more Airbone lidar presents a valuable tool to investigate water management in a water-scarce region of the Maya lowlands. We analyze 25 km 2 of lidar elevation data for the ancient Maya site of Yaxnohcah in Campeche, Mexico. Using the hydrologic tools in the GIS software ArcMap we identified hundreds of closed depressions (many extremely small). These features may have a natural origin (e.g., a sinkhole) or may be anthropogenic (e.g., from quarrying), or may be data artifacts. We used a series of filters to narrow the list of closed depressions to those which have the potential to be used for water storage. We examined many of these features on the ground and excavated several, with the archaeological data indicating their origins during the Middle Preclassic period (900 – 400 BC). As the lidar also shows residential and monumental structures, we examine the spatial relationships between structures and water storage features (including watershed area, drainage lines, and water storage capacity).
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Papers by Jeffrey Brewer
The research presented in this dissertation aims to clarify the role of small topographical depressions in ancient Maya domestic water management utilizing a combination of satellite remote sensing and archaeological excavation to identify, survey, and evaluate small household tanks. The three research articles included here focus on the lidar identification and subsequent archaeological investigation of these features at the central lowland sites of Yaxnohcah in southern Campeche, Mexico and Medicinal Trail in northwestern Belize. In addition to clarifying the origin and functions of these reservoirs, their role within the broader mosaic of ancient Maya water management infrastructure and practices, particularly within the Elevated Interior Region (EIR) of the Yucatán Peninsula is also explored. This original research supplements existing archaeological, environmental, and remote sensing studies of ancient Maya civilization and contributes to the advancement of Maya studies by: (1) providing a scheme for identifying closed depressions as probable water features within lidar imagery; (2) placing household tanks within the larger framework of ancient Maya water systems and practices; and (3) identifying spatial and temporal linkages between household tanks and differing levels of urban development in the Maya lowlands.
Conference Presentations by Jeffrey Brewer
The research presented in this dissertation aims to clarify the role of small topographical depressions in ancient Maya domestic water management utilizing a combination of satellite remote sensing and archaeological excavation to identify, survey, and evaluate small household tanks. The three research articles included here focus on the lidar identification and subsequent archaeological investigation of these features at the central lowland sites of Yaxnohcah in southern Campeche, Mexico and Medicinal Trail in northwestern Belize. In addition to clarifying the origin and functions of these reservoirs, their role within the broader mosaic of ancient Maya water management infrastructure and practices, particularly within the Elevated Interior Region (EIR) of the Yucatán Peninsula is also explored. This original research supplements existing archaeological, environmental, and remote sensing studies of ancient Maya civilization and contributes to the advancement of Maya studies by: (1) providing a scheme for identifying closed depressions as probable water features within lidar imagery; (2) placing household tanks within the larger framework of ancient Maya water systems and practices; and (3) identifying spatial and temporal linkages between household tanks and differing levels of urban development in the Maya lowlands.
Two years of total station mapping at the site have revealed distinct patterns of settlement selection and water management practices. Survey and mapping have revealed a settlement pattern in which, (a) the largest, and most complex household groups are associated with ridge tops, (b) possible artificial drainages and reservoirs are associated with dense settlement, and (c) numerous terraces are located on the slopes of the ridges, adjacent to some of the drainage features. Mapping data collection will continue in future seasons—as will interpretation of the hydraulic landscape—as we seek gain a clearer understanding of the complex interrelationship between water and people within this peripheral settlement.
Previous archaeological and mapping projects within this community have revealed a hydrological infrastructure similar to that found at larger lowland Maya sites, including La Milpa. Understanding the role these depressions, terraces, berms, and cisterns played in the control, collection, and storage of water at Medicinal Trail is one way to explore notions of political-economic investment and sociocultural complexity at the hinterland scale. Hydrological modeling—including contour mapping, catchment area analysis, and surface flow determinations—is ongoing, with the goal of gaining a clearer understanding of the relationship between water and settlement at this peripheral community.