The Maya Lowlands are the largest cultural and geographic, first order subdivision of the Maya Region, located in eastern Mesoamerica.[note 3]
Extent
The Maya Lowlands are restricted by the Gulf of Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Maya Highlands to the south and west.[1] The precise northern and eastern limits of the Lowlands are widely agreed upon, being formed by conspicuous bodies of water.[2] Their southern and western limits, however, are not precisely fixed, as these are restricted by 'subtle environmental changes or transitions from one zone [the Highlands] to another [the Lowlands],' rather than conspicuous geographic features.[3][note 4]
The Lowlands are usually subdivided either into northern and southern regions, or into northern, central, and southern regions.[6][7][8][note 6] As with the Lowlands–Highlands border, the boundaries of the Lowlands' internal subdivisions are not precisely fixed, being rather formed by gradual environmental or climatic transitions.[6][note 7]
Northern
The Northern Lowlands are generally characterised by relatively low rainfall and high temperatures, typically ranging within 20–80 inches (510–2,030 mm) per annum and 77–95 °F (25–35 °C), respectively.[9] Their rainy season typically lasts six or seven months during June–December, with a subsequent six- or five-month dry season.[9] Their terrain is predominated by tropical forests in the south, gradually giving way to low bush-and-scrub forests in the north.[9] Prominent bodies of water include Lake Bacalar and various cenotes.[10] Prominent groupings of archaeological sites within the Northern Lowlands include the Northern Plains, the East Coast, the Puuc, and the Chenes sites.[7]
The Northern Lowlands generally encompass portions of Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo in Mexico.[11][note 8]
Central
The Central Lowlands are generally characterised by relatively low rainfall and high temperatures, typically ranging about 80 inches (2,000 mm) per annum and 77–95 °F (25–35 °C), respectively.[12] Their rainy season typically lasts eight-and-a-half months, from mid-May to January, with a subsequent dry season of three-and-a-half months, from February to mid-May.[12] Their terrain is predominated by low east–west ridges of folded and faulted limestone, covered by tropical forests, grasslands, and wetlands.[12] Prominent bodies of water include the Hondo, New, and Belize Rivers and their tributaries, and a roughly 910 square miles (2,400 km2) drainage basin in central Peten housing some fourteen lakes, the largest of which is Lake Peten Itza.[13] Prominent groupings of archaeological sites within the Central Lowlands include the Belize River Valley and the Central Peten Lakes.[14]
The Southern Lowlands are generally characterised by relatively high rainfall and temperatures, typically ranging within 80–120 inches (2,000–3,000 mm) per annum and 77–95 °F (25–35 °C), respectively.[16][17] Their rainy season ranges between nine and eleven months, with the dry season compressed to three months or fewer, with the latter typically occurring during March–May.[16][note 10] Their terrain ranges from broken karst topography, predominated by rain-forest and limestone formations, to low-lying coastal topography, predominated by swamps.[16][17] Prominent bodies of water within the Southern Lowlands, which often feature relatively deep and fertile soils, include the Usumacinta River and its tributaries, the Sarstoon River, Lake Izabal, the Rio Dulce, the alluvial valley of the lower Motagua, and the Chamelecon and Ulua Rivers.[18][17] Prominent groupings of archaeological sites within the Southern Lowlands include the Southern Belize Region.[19]
The Lowlands are generally characterised by elevations below 1,000–2,625 feet (305–800 m) and a hot, tropical climate.[21][22][note 12] They are predominantly covered by evergreen tropical forests, which tend to grow taller and denser in the southern Lowlands, given increased rainfall in this area, compared to the northern Lowlands, which experience relatively less rainfall.[21][23] The climate of the eastern coasts is made relatively warmer and more humid by the Atlantic North Equatorial Current and the Gulf Stream.[24]
Human
The Lowlands have been deemed the 'most central [subdivision of the Maya Region] to the story of Maya civilisation,' with tentative estimates placing the region's population in circa AD 800 at 2–10 million, and 17 of the largest 19 ancient Maya cities located in the region.[25][26][note 13]
Climate
The Lowlands are characterised by a hot, tropical climate, and are thus traditionally known as tierra caliente, 'hot country,' in Spanish.[27][28] The area experiences two seasons, wet and dry ones, with rainfall during the wet season usually peaking in June and October.[29] Mean annual rainfall typically ranges within 20–120 inches (510–3,050 mm), with temperatures typically within 77–95 °F (25–35 °C).
Scholars have traditionally assumed that the Lowlands' present-day climate had 'always been the same, all through Maya prehistory and history,' but palaeoclimatic research has 'challenged this assumption, revealing far more climatic fluctuation than previously anticipated.'[30][31] In particular, climate proxies from Quintana Rooan lakes and Belizean caves have provided 'a continuous record of climate changes for the Maya Lowlands extending over a period of 3,500 years.'[30] These have revealed, for instance, particularly severe or prolonged droughts during AD 200–300, 420, 820–870, 930, and 1020–1100, some of which are thought to have played a part in the collapse of various ancient cities.[32]
Geology
Morphology
Provinces
The Lowlands are thought to fully or partially encompass at least eleven geologic provinces.[33][34][note 14] Notably, the northern and central Lowlands 'encompass the most extensive karstlands of the North American continent' i.e. the Yucatán Platform.[35]
Geologic provinces within the Maya Lowlands per 21st century literature.[33][34][note 15]
USGS No.
Name
Location
Notes
5308
Yucatán Platform
northern Lowlands
–
6117
Greater Antilles Deformed Belt
offshore Lowlands
–
6120
Cayman Trough
southern Lowlands
–
6125
Maya Mountains
central Lowlands
–
5305
Villahermosa Uplift
western Lowlands
–
5306
Macuspana Basin
western Lowlands
–
5304
Saline–Comalcalco Basin
western Lowlands
–
5302
Veracruz Basin
western Lowlands
–
5303
Tuxla Uplift
western Lowlands
–
5311
Chiapas Massif
western Lowlands
–
5310
Sierra Madre de Chiapas–Peten Foldbelt
southern Lowlands
–
Basins
The Lowlands are believed to fully or partially comprehend at least four sedimentary basins.[36]
Sedimentary basins within the Maya Lowlands per 21st century literature.[36][note 16]
Evenick ID
Name
Location
Notes
119
Campeche
northern Lowlands
–
519
Peten–Corozal
central Lowlands
–
757
Yucatán
northern Lowlands
–
647
Sureste
western Lowlands
–
Tectonics
The Lowlands lie wholly within the Maya Block of the North American Plate.[37][38][39] They notably house the Ticul Fault to the north, the Rio Hondo, Yucatán Channel, and Maya Mountain Faults to the east, and a portion of the Motagua–Polochic Fault Zone to the south.[40]
Stratigraphy
In the northern and central Lowlands, encompassed within the Yucatán Platform, mean crustal thickness increases from 12–16 miles (20–25 km) in the north to 19–25 miles (30–40 km) in the south.[41] These portions of the Lowlands are blanketed by a carbonate sedimentary cover reaching a mean thickness of up to some 4 miles (6 km).[41]
^As per Sharer & Traxler 2006, p. 24 within 10 mi (16 km) accuracy. Adams & Macleod 2000b, p. 346 give length and width as 'more than' 404 mi (650 km) and 'about' 280 mi (450 km), respectively. Wallace 2020, p. 17 gives length and width as about 447 mi (719 km) and about 388 mi (624 km), respectively.
^The three commonly-given first-order sub-divisions of the Maya Region being, from north to south, the Lowlands, Highlands, and Pacific Coastal Plain (Sharer & Traxler 2006, pp. 24, 30). However, Adams & Macleod 2000a, p. 200 assert that the Maya Region 'has traditionally been divided into three major physical zones: the northern lowlands, southern lowlands, and highlands (including the Pacific slope); or in some schemes, northern, central and southern regions.'
^The transition from the Maya Highlands to the Lowlands has been described as 'gradual' (Sharer & Traxler 2006, p. 41). Rough demarcations are nonetheless attempted in literature. For instance, Wallace 2020, p. 16 fixes the southern and western limits as being just above (or on the foothills of) 'the volcanic mountain ranges of Guatemala and Chiapas.' Adams & Macleod 2000b, p. 346 fix them as a line (i) encompassing Cholan Mayan speakers (ii) running from eastern Tabasco, through eastern Chiapas, into Alta Verapaz, and up to northwestern Honduras.
^For instance, the Lowlands as characterised by Adams & Macleod 2000b, p. 346 encompass 'eastern Tabasco, the lowland tropical forests of eastern Chiapas, [...] parts of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, and [part of] northwestern Honduras.'
^Some literature gives the Northern and Southern Lowlands as first order, rather than second order subdivisions of the Maya Region (Adams & Macleod 2000a, p. 200).
^Rough demarcations are nonetheless attempted in literature. For instance, Wallace 2020, p. 16 (using only two internal subdivisions) fixes the North–South border as 'a roughly straight line between the Bay of Chetumal in the east and the Laguna de Terminos in the west.' Adams & Macleod 2000b, p. 352 (using the same sub-divisions) fix it as 'a line drawn from Champotón (formerly Chanputun) on the Gulf [of Mexico] Coast to the Bahía de la Ascención on the Caribbean [Sea].'
^In literature which only sub-divides the Maya Lowlands into northern and southern portions, omitting a central portion, the Northern Lowlands may further encompass portions of Peten in Guatemala, Campeche and Quintana Roo in Mexico, and Cayo, Belize [District], Orange Walk, and Corozal in Belize (eg as in Carrasco 2006, article 'Northern Maya Lowlands' para. 1).
^Some literature only sub-divides the Maya Lowlands into northern and southern portions, omitting a central portion (eg as in Carrasco 2006, article 'Mesoamerica' para. 6). Furthermore, some literature rather characterises the Central Lowlands as encompassing 'most of the Petén, Belize, and usually the Río Bec region of southern Campeche' (Carrasco 2006, article 'Northern Maya Lowlands' para. 1).
^Carrasco 2006, article 'Southern Maya Lowlands' para. 3 give the Southern Lowlands' wet season as occurring during late-May–November, implying a December–mid-May dry season, in contrast to the March–May dry season asserted by Sharer & Traxler 2006, p. 45. However, the extent of the Southern Lowlands as given by Carrasco 2006, article 'Southern Maya Lowlands' para. 1 differs from that given by Sharer & Traxler 2006, p. 24.
^In literature which only sub-divides the Maya Lowlands into northern and southern portions, omitting a central portion, the Southern Lowlands may further encompass portions of Peten in Guatemala, Campeche and Quintana Roo in Mexico, and Cayo, Belize [District], Orange Walk, and Corozal in Belize (eg as in Carrasco 2006, article 'Southern Maya Lowlands' para. 1 and Carrasco 2006, article 'Northern Maya Lowlands' para. 1).
^As opposed to a generally temperate or cold climate experienced in elevations above 2,625 feet (800 m) in the rest of the Maya Region (Sharer & Traxler 2006, p. 30). The Maya Mountains, commonly included within the Lowlands, nonetheless feature elevations above 2,625 feet (800 m) (Sharer & Traxler 2006, p. 46, Carrasco 2006, article 'Southern Maya Lowlands' para. 1).
Bundschuh, Jochen; Alvarado, Guillermo E., eds. (2012) [2007]. Central America : Geology, Resources and Hazards (Reprint of 1st ed.). London: Taylor & Francis. doi:10.1201/9780203947043. ISBN9780429074370. OCLC905983675.
Coe, Michael D.; Houston, Stephen D. (2015) [1966]. The Maya (9th ed.). New York: Thames & Hudson. OCLC915597000.
Demarest, Arthur A., ed. (2007) [2004]. Ancient Maya : The rise and fall of a rainforest civilization. Case Studies in Early Societies (Reprint of 1st ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. OCLC717693582. OL3440009M.
Gómez-Pompa, Arturo; Allen, Michael F.; Fedick, Scott L.; Jiménez-Osornio, Juan J., eds. (2003). The Lowland Maya Area: Three Millennia at the Human-Wildland Interface. Binghamton, NY: Food Products Press. ISBN1560229705. OCLC50725221.
Nairn, Alan E. M.; Stehli, Francis G., eds. (1975). The Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. The Ocean Basins and Margins. Vol. 3. New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-8535-6. ISBN978-1-4684-8537-0.
Pohl, Mary DeLand, ed. (1990). Ancient Maya wetland agriculture : excavations on Albion Island, Northern Belize. Westview special studies in archaeological research. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. hdl:2027/txu.059173017866398. ISBN081337202X. OCLC15421978.
Sharer, Robert J.; Traxler, Loa P., eds. (2006) [1946]. The Ancient Maya (6th ed.). Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press. hdl:2027/mdp.39015062626216. OCLC57577446.
UISPP, ed. (2020). Different Times? : Archaeological and environmental data from intra-site and off-site sequences : proceedings of the XVIII UISPP World Congress (4-9 June 2018, Paris, France) : Volume 4, Session II-8. Archaeopress archaeology. Oxford: Archaeopress Publishing. ISBN9781789696516. OCLC1154813259.
Woods, Charles A.; Sergile, Florence E., eds. (2001) [First published 1989 in Gainesville, FL by Sandhill Crane Press]. Biogeography of the West Indies : patterns and perspectives (2nd revised ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. ISBN0849320011. OCLC46240352.
Brenner, Mark (6 July 2022). "Classics revisited/from the archive Mayan Urbanism: Impact on a Tropical Karst Environment". Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment. doi:10.1177/03091333221112360. S2CID24238716.
French, C. D.; Schenk, C. J. (2004). "Map showing geology, oil and gas fields, and geologic provinces of the Caribbean Region". Open-File Report (Report). Open-File Report 97-470-K. Reston, Virg.: U.S. Geological Survey. doi:10.3133/ofr97470K.
French, C. D.; Schenk, C. J. (2006). "Map showing geology, oil and gas fields, and geologic provinces of the Gulf of Mexico region". In French, Christopher D; Schenk, Christopher J (eds.). Open-File Report (Report). Open-File Report 97-470-L. Reston, Virg.: U.S. Geological Survey. doi:10.3133/ofr97470L.
Kirst, K. Kris (14 December 2019). "Maya Lowlands". ThoughtCo. Archived from the original on 9 September 2022.
Witschey, Walter R. T.; Brown, Clifford T. (2010). "Maps of the Maya Area". Electronic Atlas of Ancient Maya Sites. Archived from the original on 20 June 2010.
Award Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or ComedyAwarded forBest Musical or Comedy PictureLocationUnited StatesPresented byHollywood Foreign Press AssociationCurrently held byPoor Things (2023)Websitewww.goldenglobes.com The Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy is a Golden Globe Award that has been awarded annually since 1952 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Eligibility Eligible films must be at least 70 minutes in length, be com…
Assault rifle Semi-automatic rifle Remington R4 TypeAssault rifleSemi-automatic rifle CarbinePlace of originUnited StatesService historyIn service2012–presentWarsISIL insurgency in the PhilippinesIslamic State insurgency in Iraq (2017-present)Production historyManufacturerRemington Arms Company Government ArsenalProduced2012 – c. 2020SpecificationsBarrel lengthR4 Patrol/Operator/Enhanced: 11.5 in (290 mm)R4 Patrol/Operator/Enhanced: 14.5 in (370 mm)R4 …
Asian Highway 83 (AH83) adalah bagian dari Jaringan Jalan Asia sejauh 172 km (107.5 mil) dari Qazax, Azerbaijan ke Yerevan, Armenia. Rute yang dilewati adalah: Azerbaijan R23 R23 Road: Qazax - Bala Cəfərli Armenia Մ 4 M-4 Highway: Paravakar - Yerevan lbsJaringan Jalan AsiaSeluruh benua AH1 AH2 AH3 AH4 AH5 AH6 AH7 AH8 Asia Tenggara AH11 AH12 AH13 AH14 AH15 AH16 AH18 AH19 AH25 AH26 AH140 AH141 AH142 AH143 AH150 Asia Timur, Asia Timur Laut, dan Asia Tenggara AH30 AH31 AH32 AH33 AH34 Anak Be…
Election 1928 Massachusetts gubernatorial election ← 1926 November 6, 1928 (1928-11-06) 1930 → Nominee Frank G. Allen Charles H. Cole Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 769,372 750,137 Percentage 50.06% 48.81% County resultsAllen: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%Cole: 60–70% Governor befor…
American politician Thomas WalshMember of theMassachusetts House of Representativesfrom the 12th Essex districtIncumbentAssumed office 2016Preceded byLeah Cole AllenIn office1987–1995Preceded byTheodore C. SpeliotisSucceeded byJohn P. Slattery Personal detailsBorn (1960-07-15) July 15, 1960 (age 63)Salem, MassachusettsPolitical partyDemocraticResidencePeabody, MassachusettsAlma materSalem State University (formerly Salem State College)OccupationAccount ManagerPolitician Thomas P. Wals…
German track and field athlete Gustav Wegner Medal record Men's athletics Representing Germany European Athletics Championships 1934 Turin Pole vault Gustav Wegner (4 January 1903 – 7 June 1942) was a German track and field athlete who competed in the pole vault and the decathlon. He was the first ever European champion in the pole vault and the first German to clear four metres in the event. He was a five-time national champion at the German Athletics Championships and a stadium near No…
Questa voce o sezione sull'argomento competizioni automobilistiche non cita le fonti necessarie o quelle presenti sono insufficienti. Puoi migliorare questa voce aggiungendo citazioni da fonti attendibili secondo le linee guida sull'uso delle fonti. Questa voce o sezione deve essere rivista e aggiornata appena possibile. Sembra infatti che questa voce contenga informazioni superate e/o obsolete. Se puoi, contribuisci ad aggiornarla. Superleague Formula Categoriaautomobilismo NazioneInternaz…
Fenokris k feldspar dalam matriks berbutir halus pada batuan granit porfiri Matriks atau massa dasar batuan adalah massa berbutir lebih halus dari material tempat di mana kristal atau klas yang lebih besar tertanam. Matriks batuan beku terdiri dari kristal berbutir halus (sering berukuran mikroskopis) di mana kristal yang lebih besar (fenokris) yang tertanam. Tekstur porfiritik ini merupakan indikasi dari pendinginan magma multi-tahap. Misalnya, andesit porfiri akan memiliki fenokris plagioklas …
烏克蘭總理Прем'єр-міністр України烏克蘭國徽現任杰尼斯·什米加尔自2020年3月4日任命者烏克蘭總統任期總統任命首任維托爾德·福金设立1991年11月后继职位無网站www.kmu.gov.ua/control/en/(英文) 乌克兰 乌克兰政府与政治系列条目 宪法 政府 总统 弗拉基米尔·泽连斯基 總統辦公室 国家安全与国防事务委员会 总统代表(英语:Representatives of the President of Ukraine) 总理…
1957 Odisha Legislative Assembly election ← 1952 1957 1961 → All 140 seats in the Odisha Legislative Assembly71 seats needed for a majority First party Second party Leader Harekrushna Mahatab Party INC AIGP Leader's seat Soro - Seats won 56 51 Seat change 11 20 Popular vote 16,28,180 12,23,014 Percentage 38.26 28.74 Swing 0.39 8.24 CM before election Harekrushna Mahatab INC Elected CM Harekrushna Mahatab INC Elections to the second Odisha L…
Ayam Tandoori Ayam Tandoori adalah masakan Punjabi yang berasal dari Punjab dan keberadaannya dapat ditelusuri hingga zaman Kesultanan Mughal di Asia Selatan. Makanan ini masih menjadi makanan popular di daerah tersebut dan juga di Asia Tengah dan Asia Tenggara. Daging ayam untuk masakan ini pertama-tama direndam adonan susu asam kental yang telah dibumbui dengan garam masala - bawang putih, jahe, cabai dan macam-macam lada India tergantung dari resep rasa yang diinginkan. Biasanya masakan ini d…
British politician (1847-1934) The Most HonourableThe Marquess of Aberdeen and TemairKT KP GCMG GCVO PCLord Lieutenant of IrelandIn office11 December 1905 – 17 February 1915MonarchsEdward VII George VPrime MinisterSir Henry Campbell-Bannerman H. H. Asquith David Lloyd GeorgePreceded byThe Earl of DudleySucceeded byLord WimborneIn office8 February 1886 – 20 July 1886MonarchVictoriaPrime MinisterWilliam Ewart GladstonePreceded byThe Earl of CarnarvonSucceeded byThe Marquess o…
E-commerce marketplace operator This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view. (July 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Liquidity ServicesTraded asNasdaq: LQDT S&P 600 componentIndustrySurplus asset managementE-commerceFounded1999; 25 years ago (1999)FoundersWilliam P. Angr…
Private university in Dubai, United Arab Emirates Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani – Dubai CampusMottoGyanam paramam balamMotto in EnglishKnowledge is Supreme PowerTypePrivateDeemed UniversityEstablished2000; 24 years ago (2000)ChancellorKumar Mangalam BirlaVice-ChancellorV. Ramgopal RaoDirectorDr. Srinivasan MadapusiStudents1,400 (2019)LocationDubai International Academic City, Dubai, UAE25°7′54″N 55°25′11″E / 25.13167°N 55.41…
Building in Quebec, Canada Citadelle of QuebecLa Citadelle de Québec (French)General informationLocationQuebec City, Quebec, CanadaCoordinates46°48′27″N 71°12′26″W / 46.8074°N 71.2071°W / 46.8074; -71.2071Construction started1820 to 1850Cost200 000 sterling pounds, 60 000 estimated in 1816ClientThe Crown of France (1693, 1701, 1745, 1750)The Crown of Great Britain and Ireland (1820, 1831, 1842)The Crown in Right of Canada (1872)OwnerThe King in Right of …
Argentine politician Antonio CafieroAntonio Cafiero in 1988National SenatorIn office10 December 1993 – 10 December 2005ConstituencyBuenos Aires7th Chief of the Cabinet of MinistersIn office30 December 2001 – 2 January 2002PresidentEduardo CamañoPreceded byLuis LusquiñosSucceeded byJorge CapitanichGovernor of Buenos AiresIn office10 December 1987 – 10 December 1991LieutenantLuis María MacayaPreceded byAlejandro ArmendárizSucceeded byEduardo Duhalde Personal de…
Equestrian at the Olympics Equestrianat the Games of the X OlympiadTakeichi Nishi with Uranus at the 1932 Summer GamesVenueRiviera Country ClubWestchesterOlympic StadiumDates10–14 August 1932No. of events6Competitors31 from 6 nations← 19281936 → Equestrian events at the1932 Summer OlympicsDressageindividualteamEventingindividualteamJumpingindividualteamvte The equestrian events at the 1932 Los Angeles Summer Games included dressage (team and individual medals), …
Work People's College as it appeared in 1913. Note the parallel American and red flags flying over the building. Work People's College (Finnish: Työväen Opisto) was a radical labor college (a type of a folk high school governed by the worker's movement) established in Smithville (Duluth), then a suburb of Duluth, Minnesota, in 1907 by the Finnish Socialist Federation of the Socialist Party of America. School administrators and faculty were sympathetic to the syndicalist left wing of the Finnis…