Melvin Rodrigo Guzman Piedrasanta | Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (original) (raw)

Papers by Melvin Rodrigo Guzman Piedrasanta

RNIU - CIUDADES No. 76, 2007

Coperación y cultura, desarrollo y descentralización. Testimonio.

Tesis de Licenciatura, 2010

XXXII Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2018

XXV Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2012

This paper presents recent research results from the site of Holtun in the Department of Flores P... more This paper presents recent research results from the site of Holtun in the Department of Flores Peten. The site is located around 12 kms south of Yaxha. A map of the site was carried out during 2012 and it was noted its location over a karstic mountain. There is a Triadic Group, a Group E, a ball court, a causeway, and other residential groups to the southwest of the center. Results from the survey are presented here as well as recent data gathered by the new Project that began in 2010. A continuación se presentan los resultados más relevantes de las primeras dos temporadas de investigaciones en el sitio arqueológico Holtun, ubicado en la aldea La Máquina,

XXX Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2017

XXX SimpoSio de inveStigacioneS aRqueológicaS en guatemala muSeo nacional de aRqueología y etnolo... more XXX SimpoSio de inveStigacioneS aRqueológicaS en guatemala muSeo nacional de aRqueología y etnología 18 al 22 de julio de 2016 EditorEs BárBara arroyo luiS méndez SalinaS Gloria ajú álvarez

XXVII Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2014

Documented between 1967 and 1970 by Edwin M. Shook, the site of río Seco has a special importance... more Documented between 1967 and 1970 by Edwin M. Shook, the site of río Seco has a special importance, but it has gone unnoticed all this time. With evidence of occupation from the Late Preclassic, río Seco was
increasing its importance in the region well into the Early Classic period when there is a special interest in the development of Teotihuacan pottery, mainly concentrated in a single structure. The occupation at the site continues and becomes more extensive during the Late Classic. Several pieces on display in museums in Guatemala and the world, some of them documented by N. Hellmuth, who claim to be from the Tiquisate area rather seem to come from the site of río Seco. That is why it is necessary to reconsider the importance of this site, and its role in the historical process of the South Coast.

XXVI Simposio de investigaciones arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2013

XXV Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2012

The relationship between the Ixil area with the Maya Lowlands and the rest of the Northern Highla... more The relationship between the Ixil area with the Maya Lowlands and the rest of the Northern Highlands has been demonstrated in archaeological research The cultural affiliation of El Soch can be seen in its architecture since Group A has a settlement pattern similar to those seen in the Ixil area and Group B settlement pattern resembles that of the Chixoy area. The present paper examines similarities and divergences in the architectural evidence of the region.

XXII Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2009

The site of El Soch is located in the municipality of Chicaman, Quiche, near the shore of the Chi... more The site of El Soch is located in the municipality of Chicaman, Quiche, near the shore of the Chixoy River and the eastern edge of the Cuchumatan Mountains. Since 2008, the Universidad del Valle had begun exploration of the unknown zone of the Northeastern highlands of Guatemala, where sites like El Soch are found and, because of its architectural features, was possibly the principal center of the region. In this work we present the preliminary results of initial work at El Soch, in particular, the mapping, test-pitting, and regional reconnaissance. In addition we will present the general research plan, principally the implications for the study of this multi-ethnic frontier region, as well as the transition from the Terminal Classic to Postclassic periods in the Maya highlands.

Sitio arqueológico El Soch, El Quiché, Guatemala: análisis del posicionamiento estratégico del si... more Sitio arqueológico El Soch, El Quiché, Guatemala: análisis del posicionamiento estratégico del sitio para el control de un área geográfica. El sitio arqueológico El Soch se encuentra en la parte norte del municipio de Chicamán, El Quiché, Guatemala. Se ubica geográficamente en una intersección entre la sierra de Los Cuchumatanes y la sierra de Chamá, a siete kilómetros al oeste del río Chixoy. Esta intersección forma un cañón que conecta la cuenca del río Chixoy con la región Ixil. Además, el sitio está posicionado cerca de nacimientos de agua y cuevas, los cuales fueron y son elementos geográficos importantes en la cultura maya. El Soch está conformado por dos grupos arquitectónicos denominados Grupo A y Grupo B. Además cuenta con una serie de plataformas al norte y sur del Grupo A, así como al oeste del Grupo B. Ambos grupos poseen un patio de Juego de Pelota y las características arquitectónicas de las estructuras permiten asociar al sitio con el área Ixil y los valles al sur, en la cuenca del río Chixoy. Los análisis del material cerámico sugieren que el sitio estuvo ocupado desde el período Clásico Temprano hasta inicios del Postclásico Temprano. El sitio se encuentra en la región arqueológica denominada Tierras Altas del Norte, que comprende los departamentos de El Quiché, Alta y Baja Verapaz en el altiplano guatemalteco. Esta región ha sido investigada desde finales del siglo XIX hasta la actualidad por investigadores e instituciones que han aportado datos para la reconstrucción del panorama sociopolítico. Los resultados de sus investigaciones permitieron relacionar a El Soch con las diferentes áreas de esta región durante los distintos períodos de ocupación del sitio. La información del sitio

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

XXX Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2017

El sitio arqueológico Holtun se encuentra en el departamento de Petén ubicado a unos 12 km al sur... more El sitio arqueológico Holtun se encuentra en el departamento de Petén ubicado a unos 12 km al sur del sitio de Yaxhá y 35 km de Tikal. Holtun se considera un centro cívico-ceremonial y forma parte de un grupo de epicentros preclásicos ubicados al sur del lago de Yaxhá. En este trabajo se revisan los resultados de temporadas de campo y laboratorio (2012-2016) del Proyecto Arqueológico Holtun. También se discutirán los resultados preliminares de análisis de radiocarbono, fauna, lítica, cerámica y suelos. Utilizamos estos análisis para comparar patrones de asentamiento y cultura material entre comunidades del Preclásico y Clásico Tardío dentro y alrededor del sitio.

Thesis and dissertations by Melvin Rodrigo Guzman Piedrasanta

PhD Dissertation UCF, 2022

Water management strategies are intrinsically associated with the development of complex societie... more Water management strategies are intrinsically associated with the development of complex societies. Traditional approaches have often characterized these strategies as homogenous and monolithic. Recent studies have shown that water management among the ancient Maya was a significant source of power, but the strategies implemented, and the outcomes are highly variable and dependent on the landscape. The case of Holtun, a modest-sized site, adds to the growing body of water management research in ancient Maya archaeology as most water management systems are investigated in large primary centers. Although water resources at Holtun are relatively small, they supported large communities during the history of the site. Holtun developed social complexity during the Middle Preclassic period. The site flourished with some centralized and neighborhoodbased water catchment, but most of the springs and water pools remained outside of formal control networks on the outskirts of the site. During the Late Classic period, a monumental group, Group HTN19_20, emerged 1.3 kilometers east of the civic-ceremonial center of Holtun, claiming the territory around the eastern natural water reservoirs. Archaeological excavations conducted in this group indicate signs of status and social power amid similarities and differences from monumental architecture and residences in the site's core. The relationship between this group, its proximity to water, and the civic-ceremonial epicenter of the site is not completely clear. However, its location on the landscape and material remains suggest that water procurement and control were a motivation for its establishment. The emergence of group HTN19_20 in this location on the landscape added complexity to the sociopolitical dynamics of Holtun and may be the result of competing political factions. This differs from findings at many other Maya sites, demonstrating the complexity and heterogeneity of ancient Maya water management strategies and their importance in the development and maintenance of social complexity.

Doctoral Dissertation, 2022

Water management strategies are intrinsically associated with the development of complex societie... more Water management strategies are intrinsically associated with the development of complex societies. Traditional approaches have often characterized these strategies as homogenous and monolithic. Recent studies have shown that water management among the ancient Maya was a significant source of power, but the strategies implemented, and the outcomes are highly variable and dependent on the landscape. The case of Holtun, a modest-sized site, adds to the growing body of water management research in ancient Maya archaeology as most water management systems are investigated in large primary centers. Although water resources at Holtun are relatively small, they supported large communities during the history of the site. Holtun developed social complexity during the Middle Preclassic period. The site flourished with some centralized and neighborhood-based water catchment, but most of the springs and water pools remained outside of formal control networks on the outskirts of the site. During the Late Classic period, a monumental group, Group HTN19_20, emerged 1.3 kilometers east of the civic-ceremonial center of Holtun, claiming the territory around the eastern natural water reservoirs. Archaeological excavations conducted in this group indicate signs of status and social power amid similarities and differences from monumental architecture and residences in the site's core. The relationship between this group, its proximity to water, and the civicceremonial epicenter of the site is not completely clear. However, its location on the landscape and material remains suggest that water procurement and control were a motivation for its establishment. The emergence of group HTN19_20 in this location on the landscape added complexity to the sociopolitical dynamics of Holtun and may be the result of competing political factions. This differs from findings at many other Maya sites, demonstrating the complexity and heterogeneity of ancient Maya water management strategies and their importance in the development and maintenance of social complexity.

MA Thesis, 2017

The nature of social organization at an archaeological site can be interpreted from many types of... more The nature of social organization at an archaeological site can be interpreted from many types of material remains. Exotic goods are particularly useful for making inferences about social organization because of their scarcity, utilitarian demand, and symbolic characteristics. Obsidian artifacts are some of the most abundant exotic goods among the Lowland Maya. The acquisition

Sitio arqueológico El Soch, El Quiché, Guatemala: análisis del posicionamiento estratégico del sitio para el control de un área geográfica., 2010

, por sus enseñanzas en la redacción de documentos académicos y el apoyo para continuar las inves... more , por sus enseñanzas en la redacción de documentos académicos y el apoyo para continuar las investigaciones en el área. A los directores del Proyecto Arqueológico El Soch, durante las temporadas 2008 y 2009: Licda. Jeanette Castellanos y Lic. Christopher Martínez. Y a los cadeneros Carlos (Calin), Saulo (Chalo) y Jacinto, que me acompañaron y protegieron en cada momento de la investigación.

Reports by Melvin Rodrigo Guzman Piedrasanta

Informe Final Proyecto Holtun (Preliminar), 2021

Informe Final Proyecto Arqueológico Holtun, 2019

RNIU - CIUDADES No. 76, 2007

Coperación y cultura, desarrollo y descentralización. Testimonio.

Tesis de Licenciatura, 2010

XXXII Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2018

XXV Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2012

XXX Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2017

XXVII Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2014

XXVI Simposio de investigaciones arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2013

XXV Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2012

XXII Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2009

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

XXX Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2017

PhD Dissertation UCF, 2022

Doctoral Dissertation, 2022

Water management strategies are intrinsically associated with the development of complex societie... more Water management strategies are intrinsically associated with the development of complex societies. Traditional approaches have often characterized these strategies as homogenous and monolithic. Recent studies have shown that water management among the ancient Maya was a significant source of power, but the strategies implemented, and the outcomes are highly variable and dependent on the landscape. The case of Holtun, a modest-sized site, adds to the growing body of water management research in ancient Maya archaeology as most water management systems are investigated in large primary centers. Although water resources at Holtun are relatively small, they supported large communities during the history of the site. Holtun developed social complexity during the Middle Preclassic period. The site flourished with some centralized and neighborhood-based water catchment, but most of the springs and water pools remained outside of formal control networks on the outskirts of the site. During the Late Classic period, a monumental group, Group HTN19_20, emerged 1.3 kilometers east of the civic-ceremonial center of Holtun, claiming the territory around the eastern natural water reservoirs. Archaeological excavations conducted in this group indicate signs of status and social power amid similarities and differences from monumental architecture and residences in the site's core. The relationship between this group, its proximity to water, and the civicceremonial epicenter of the site is not completely clear. However, its location on the landscape and material remains suggest that water procurement and control were a motivation for its establishment. The emergence of group HTN19_20 in this location on the landscape added complexity to the sociopolitical dynamics of Holtun and may be the result of competing political factions. This differs from findings at many other Maya sites, demonstrating the complexity and heterogeneity of ancient Maya water management strategies and their importance in the development and maintenance of social complexity.

MA Thesis, 2017

Sitio arqueológico El Soch, El Quiché, Guatemala: análisis del posicionamiento estratégico del sitio para el control de un área geográfica., 2010

Informe Final Proyecto Holtun (Preliminar), 2021

Informe Final Proyecto Arqueológico Holtun, 2019

PRALC final report, 2011

Archaeological mapping at La Corona, Guatemala.

PRALC final report, 2011

Survey at the peripheral site of El Jobillo in La Corona region, Guatemala.

PRALC Final Report, 2011

Possible ballgame court at La Corona

Journal of Archaeological Scince: Reports, 2023

This research elucidates the changing function of some of the earliest types of monumental archit... more This research elucidates the changing function of some of the earliest types of monumental architecture in the Maya world, the E-Group, using ICP-MS soil chemistry analysis of associated floor surfaces at the site of Holtun, Guatemala. E-groups are architectural assemblages first appearing during the Middle Preclassic period that are associated with public, ritual activities, such as marking important celestial and agricultural events. Our methodology targeted sequential, stratigraphic plaza floors in the E-Group compound at Holtun to examine changing activities through time. Residential patio surfaces were also sampled as a comparison to public, ritual activity. Our results suggest that activities related to food production and consumption are visible in sequential plaza floors of the E-Group, and the locations of some of these activities changed over time. Moreover, activities and locations revealed through soil chemical analysis also differed somewhat from those in residential patios, suggesting different patterns of use in public versus private spaces.

PLOS ONE, 2022

Many humans live in large, complex political centers, composed of multi-scalar communities includ... more Many humans live in large, complex political centers, composed of multi-scalar communities including neighborhoods and districts. Both today and in the past, neighborhoods form a fundamental part of cities and are defined by their spatial, architectural, and material elements. Neighborhoods existed in ancient centers of various scales, and multiple methods have been employed to identify ancient neighborhoods in archaeological contexts. However, the use of different methods for neighborhood identification within the same spatiotemporal setting results in challenges for comparisons within and between ancient societies. Here, we focus on using a single method—combining Average Nearest Neighbor (ANN) and Kernel Density (KD) analyses of household groups—to identify potential neighborhoods based on clusters of households at 23 ancient centers across the Maya Lowlands. While a one-size-fits all model does not work for neighborhood identification everywhere, the ANN/KD method provides quantifiable data on the clustering of ancient households, which can be linked to environmental zones and urban scale. We found that centers in river valleys exhibited greater household clustering compared to centers in upland and escarpment environments. Settlement patterns on flat plains were more dispersed, with little discrete spatial clustering of households. Furthermore, we categorized the ancient Maya centers into discrete urban scales, finding that larger centers had greater variation in household spacing compared to medium-sized and smaller centers. Many larger political centers possess heterogeneity in household clustering between their civic-ceremonial cores, immediate hinterlands, and far peripheries. Smaller centers exhibit greater household clustering compared to larger ones. This paper quantitatively assesses household clustering among nearly two dozen centers across the Maya Lowlands, linking environment and urban scale to settlement patterns. The findings are applicable to ancient societies and modern cities alike;understanding how humans form multi-scalar social groupings, such as neighborhoods, isfundamental to human experience and social organization.