Archaeological Map of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Description

This exciting archaeological map of the Yucatan Peninsula was produced in 1983, at the height of the Central American civilizations craze that characterized archaeology in the 1980s. The map shows the Yucatan Peninsula in southern Mexico, where especially the Maya have been dominant throughout most of recorded history. There is a general consensus among scholars that Mayan civilization began approximately 2000 BCE and persisted in some form until the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. The pinnacle of this great civilization, often referred to as the ‘Classical era’ of Mayan civilization, spanned from around 250 to 900 CE.

The map is printed in simple monochromatic tones, with the black ink on yellow paper giving the map a distinct feel of the type of in-field documentation that archaeology relies on. It is generally done according to the highest documentation standards. A detailed grid has been overlaid on the map for easy identification of sites, routes, and locations. A legend on the left of the map explains the symbols used and underscores exactly what is in focus here. While modern paved roads and railroads are depicted on the map (infrastructure is, after all, important for archaeological travel), most of the legend revolves around archaeological sites (indicated by black dots) and their interconnectivity with ancient road networks.

The pre-Columbian Maya civilization built enormous networks of raised and paved roads. Most of these roads connected temples, plazas, and other important structures within cities or ceremonial centers, but longer roads between cities are also known. These ritualized and sacred avenues of movement were called sacbe, or ‘white roads’ in Yucatec Maya, and are indicated by dotted lines on this evocative map.