Julien SION
Director of the PARYNA project - PhD in Archaeology at University of Paris 1 (2016) - Proyecto Arqueologico Regional Yojoa-Los Naranjos (PARYNA) ; Proyecto Arqueologico Regional Raxruha Viejo ; Proyecto Arqueologico Rio Bec 2; Proyecto Petén-Norte Naachtun
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Papers by Julien SION
During the Terminal Classic (AD 800-950/1000) the Maya lowlands suffered a crisis period characterized by a series of dramatic events and episodes of warfare. These, combined with cycles of drought, resulted in far-reaching transformations, including the fall of the royal dynasties. The way the population adapted both politically and economically to those changes varied considerably from one region to the next, and remains poorly understood. The present research focuses on the Maya site of Naachtun (Guatemala), which provides a particularly interesting case-study, given that during this period it suffered a significant population decline, a reduction in architectural construction, as well as the emergence of new forms of power exercise after the fall of the royal dynasty (AD 750-800). Paradoxically, the post-dynastic occupation appears to be more dynamic here than in other centers in the region and certain groups in the site show a relative economic prosperity. This research seeks to identify such prosperity as well as the relationship between the various social entities that occupied the epicenter’s large residential complexes, by analyzing the constructive sequences and establishing quantified indices of related goods. This study also determines the strategies implemented by those elite groups in order to adapt to the disturbed context that prevailed in the Maya area. Special attention is paid to activities implying long-distance trade, with their radically changing networks.