Ancient Maya terracing and modern conservation in the Petén rain forest of Guatemala

To live sustainably from agriculture for generations in steep, tropical lands requires a complex understanding of both soil and soil conservation. A steady and increasing amount of ethnopedological research has shown the complexity of indigenous soil and soil conservation in many parts of the world (Bocco; Carter; Dunning 1992; Hecht; Williams and Oritz-Solomo; and Zimmerer). Dunning (1992), for example, showed that the indigenous Yucatec Maya of the Puuc area of the Yucatan have a four-level soil taxonomy, at least nine distinct soil types, and a sophisticated knowledge of appropriate land use. Bocco showed nearly as complex a knowledge of soil conservation among peasant farmers in central Mexico. At the same time, much research has supported the idea that “grass roots” development and conservation projects that include local people and their indigenous knowledge have higher chances of long-term success (Bocco; Hudson; Pawluk; Posey). Another source of soil knowledge applicable to “conser-vation-with-development” projects (Stocking and Perkin) is archaeological information from ancient cultures that experienced similarly intense land pressures to those of today. A fitting ancient analog to modern land pressure was the ancient Maya in the Lowlands of Central America …