[Aztlan] SOIL SAMPLES AT THE MAYA SITE OF CHUNCHUCMIL MAY CHANGE VIEWS ON THE MAYA

[michael ruggeri]

Listeros,

A study by soil scientists at Brigham Young University at  
Chunchucmil  will revolutionize Maya studies. Soil levels at the Maya  
site of Chunchucmil have phosporus levels 40 times higher than  
background levels providing evIdence of a market economy and calling  
into question the concept that the Mayas distributed through a  
tribute system. Chunchucmil was 17 miles from the 2nd largest salt  
works in Mesoamerica and lies in an extremely forbidding place for  
agriculture yet reached 45,000 in population.

The soil survey found that the Chunchucmil Maya carried salt over  
sacbes in a long distance trading network in return for food.

The Salt Lake Tribune has the story here;
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7620583

On a related note, Aztlan co-moderator David Hixon has done much work  
at the Chunchucmil site and here are two of his web pages on the site;

http://research.famsi.org/aztlan/uploads/papers/Hixson- 
MayaNewsletter.pdf

http://home.comcast.net/~drhixson/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html

Mike Ruggeri



Mike Ruggeri's The Ancient Americas Breaking News
http://web.mac.com/michaelruggeri

Mike Ruggeri's Maya Archaeology News and Links
http://community-2.webtv.net/Topiltzin-2091/MIkeRuggerisMaya/index.html