Soil resources of the Motul de San José Maya: Correlating soil taxonomy and modern Itzá Maya soil classification within a classic Maya archaeological zone

Jensen, Christopher T.; Moriarty, Matthew; Johnson, Kristofer D.; Terry, Richard E.; Emery, Kitty F.; Nelson, Sheldon D.

doi:10.1002/gea.20156

Cited by 17 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The yiq’uel lum soils are similar to the ji’il lum or ji’lumil soils; however, the Ch’ol indicate that in addition to the superficial dark color, another way of identifying these soils is their proximity to the river bank, the yiq’uel lum being further away from the river bed and capable of developing any crop, while ji’il lum or ji’lumil soils are at the river bank and only banana is grown. However, although both soils are similar for the Ch’ol and the names do not reflect a single specific characteristic observable in each soil class, they imply other important aspects such as their location in the landscape as well as their capacity for agricultural use, as is the case of the Mayan soil names in the state of Yucatan [ 10 , 11 , 26 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The stoniness and rockiness are attributes utilized as classification criterion, both in the technical [ 24 ] and in the ethnic [ 10 , 11 , 26 , 29 – 33 ] classifications (Table 3 ). The difference is that in the indigenous classifications such as the Maya, the stoniness and rockiness is a property that determines the name of the soil (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ch’ol nomenclature for soil classification in the ejido Oxolotán, Tacotalpa, Tabasco, México

Sánchez-Hernández

Cruz

Palma-López

et al. 2018

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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BackgroundThe traditional ecological knowledge of land of the Ch’ol originary people from southeast Mexico forms part of their cultural identity; it is local and holistic and implies an integrated physical and spiritual worldview that contributes to improve their living conditions. We analyzed the nomenclature for soil classification used in the Mexican state of Tabasco by the Ch’ol farmers with the objective of contributing to the knowledge of the Maya soil classification.MethodsA map of the study area was generated from the digital database of parcels in the ejido Oxolotán in the municipality of Tacotalpa, to which a geopedological map was overlaid in order to obtain modeled topographic profiles (Zavala-Cruz et al., Ecosistemas y Recursos Agropecuarios 3:161–171, 2016). In each modeled profile, a soil profile was made and classified according to IUSS Working Group WRB (181, 2014) in order to generate a map of soil groups, which was used to survey the study area with the participation of 245 local Ch’ol farmers for establishing an ethnopedological soil classification (Ortiz et al.: 62, 1990). In addition, we organized a participatory workshop with 35 people to know details of the names of the soils and their indicators of fertility and workability, from which we selected 15 participants for field trips and description of soil profiles.ResultsThe color, texture, and stoniness are attributes important in the Ch’ol nomenclature, although the names do not completely reflect the visible characteristic of the soil surface. On the other hand, the mere presence of stones is sufficient to name a land class, while according to IUSS Working Group WRB (181, 2014), a certain amount and distribution of stones in the soil profiles is necessary to be taken into consideration in the name. Perception of soil quality by local farmers considers the compaction or hardness of the cultivable soil layer, because of which black or sandy soils are perceived as better for cultivation of banana, or as secondary vegetation in fallow. Red, yellow, or brown soils are seen as of less quality and are only used for establishing grasslands, while maize is cultivated in all soil classes.ConclusionsFarmers provided the Ch’ol nomenclature, perceived problems, and uses of each class of soil. Translation of Ch’ol soil names and comparison with descriptions of soil profiles revealed that the Ch’ol soil nomenclature takes into account the soil profile, given it is based on characteristics of both surface and subsurface horizons including color of soil matrix and mottles, stoniness, texture, and vegetation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ch’ol nomenclature for soil classification in the ejido Oxolotán, Tacotalpa, Tabasco, México

Sánchez-Hernández

Cruz

Palma-López

et al. 2018

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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“…K'ankab lu'um, KA, LV. Soils with red or reddish-brown topsoil over a yellow subsurface layer, <5% organic matter, without rocks or stones, they harden when dry, however desiccation cracks are not formed (Dunning, 1992;Dunning and Beach, 2004;Jensen et al, 2007). When these soils are moderately shallow (25-50 cm deep) they are termed Ma'taan K'ankab lu'um (KA) and correspond to the Epileptic Luvisol group of the WRB (2015).…”

Section: C) Soils With Contrasting Colors Between Horizonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technology and local wisdom: The Maya soil classification app

Palma-López¹,

Bautista²

2019

BSGM

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El conocimiento maya sobre los suelos ha superado la desconfianza de los edafólogos hacia el conocimiento indígena puesto que es un sistema de clasificación con conceptos organizados jerárquicamente. Con el propósito de difundir y mejorar el conocimiento tradicional, desarrollamos la app clasificación maya de suelos. Esta app incluye tanto la descripción del suelo maya, como de tres de sus términos ecológicos (Petén, Kankabal y A'kalche) que vinculan el medio ambiente físico y biótico. La app incluye fotografías del perfil del suelo con su correspondiente denominación maya y clasificación del sistema internacional, además de un mapa de la clasificación maya de suelo en el estado mexicano de Yucatán. Este artículo se describen la estructura y el funcionamiento de la app.

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“…Once soil use patterns have been identified, soil mapping can be used to extrapolate probable agricultural potentials around and between sites (e.g., Fernandez et al., ). Where available, the folk soil classifications used by local traditional farmers can be used to analyze probable land use patterns in the soilscape (Dunning & Beach, ; Jensen et al., ).…”

Section: Prospectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geoarchaeological Investigations in Mesoamerica Move into the 21st Century: A Review

et al. 2015

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Over the past thirty years, geoarchaeology has moved from the fringe to mainstream status within Mesoamerican archaeological investigations. This review focuses on works published since the year 2000. Five themes are identified as central to recent studies: (1) the correlation of environmental change and cultural history; (2) anthropogenic environmental impacts; (3) ancient land cover, land use, and diet; (4) archaeological prospection; and (5) provenance studies. These themes are often interwoven in the application of complex systems approaches that allow scientists to more accurately model the intricacies of ancient human-environment interactions. C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Soil resources of the Motul de San José Maya: Correlating soil taxonomy and modern Itzá Maya soil classification within a classic Maya archaeological zone

Cited by 17 publications

References 26 publications

Ch’ol nomenclature for soil classification in the ejido Oxolotán, Tacotalpa, Tabasco, México

Ch’ol nomenclature for soil classification in the ejido Oxolotán, Tacotalpa, Tabasco, México

Technology and local wisdom: The Maya soil classification app

Geoarchaeological Investigations in Mesoamerica Move into the 21st Century: A Review

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