Christian Isendahl

christian.isendahl@arkeologi.uu.se

Landscape Archaeology in Latin America
Research summary presentation


I am particularly interested in a range of aspects concerning prehistoric agrosystems in early complex societies of the tropics, using the tools of landscape archaeology. I am currently engaged in four different areas of research.

Lowland Maya Urban Farming
A continuation of my Ph.D. research at the Classic to Postclassic Maya urban settlement at Xuch, Mexico, I examine changing land use patterns in urban communities, particularly focusing on investigating the balance between cultural-ecological strategies of maximization and resilience in agricultural production over the long-term, i.e. c. 400 BCE–1700 CE. Also focuses on methodological issues, particularly concerning survey and geochemistry.

Ecology, Power, and Religion in Maya Landscapes
A collaboration with historian of religions Bodil Liljefors Persson, Malmö University and funded by the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation until 2007, this research explores the interface between social constructivist and bio-geophysical perspectives on Maya landscapes to understand the ecological relationships between land-use, politics, and cosmology, c. 400 BCE–1700 CE.
December 4–9, 2006 I am co-organizer of the 11th European Maya Conference hosted by Malmö University. The theme of the symposium is Ecology, Power, and Religion in Maya Landsapes.

Archaeoclimatic Modeling of the Lowland Neotropics
A research cooperation with Robert Bryson, Mojave National Preserve, California, employing the archaeoclimatic technique to model Holocene paleoclimates of lowland South America.

Cultivating the Past: Pre-Columbian Agriculture, Settlement, and Environment in the Yungas
of the Eastern Cordillera Montaña, Bolivia
This project forms a case study of how applied archaeological research can contribute to sustainable rural development in developing countries. The aim is to document data from the yungas of the eastern cordillera montaña in Cochabamba, Bolivia, to understand the unique pre-Columbian agricultural land-use systems of these areas in detail. Recent research demonstrates ancient farming technologies specifically adapted to the environments of the yungas. Contemporary smallholders of the yungas practice extensive, pesticide-dependent swidden cultivation that promotes soil erosion, deforestation, and a loss of biodiversity. Furthermore, in their efforts to clear plots, farmers regularly damage the archaeological remains, which are threatened by destruction. Documenting, restoring, and testing pre-Columbian agrosystems and technologies, the ultimate ambition of the project is to provide an ecologically and economically sustainable alternative to slash-and-burn agriculture that counteract current trends towards increasing soil erosion, deforestation, species extinctions, mallholder poverty and emigration, and disturbances in children’s development owing to overexposure to pesticides. Disseminating research results among smallholders will assist in the protection of the cultural heritage of the yungas for future generations to learn from. A 3 year research project commencing in 2007 enjoys funding from Sida.

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Publications

  • Isendahl, C. (2011). Archaeology’s potential contribution to pools of agronomic knowledge: a case of applied agro-archaeology in the Bolivian Yungas. I Matthew Davies and Freda Nkirote (red.) Humans and the environment Oxford University Press. [More information]
  • Isendahl, C. (2011). Thinking about landscape and religion in the pre-hispanic Maya lowlands. I Christian Isendahl and Bodil Liljefors Persson (red.) Ecology, power and religion in Maya landscapes Anton Saurwein Verlag. [More information]
  • Isendahl, C. (2011). Maya Urban Gardens at Xuch. I Amina-Aicha Malek (red.) Sourcebook of Garden Archaeology Peter Lang. [More information]
  • Isendahl, C. (2011). The Domestication and Early Spread of Manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz): A Brief Synthesis.. Latin American antiquity, vol. 22, ss. 452-468 [More information]
  • Isendahl, C. (2011). The Weight of Water: A New Look at Prehispanic Puuc Maya Water Reservoirs. Ancient Mesoamerica, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. vol. 22, ss. 185-197 [doi:10.1017/S0956536111000149] [More information]