Graphic and Photographic Documentation - Reed College

On the web at:
http://mayagis.smv.org/papers.htm
(accessed 2008 March 13)
The authors describe the nature of fractals and fractal geometry and its uses in
archaeologcial analysis. Using Mayapan as an example, they describe the fractal
nature of Maya settlement pattenrs. They “show that the fractal dimensions calculated
for some Maya settlement patterns are similar to those produced by warfare,
supporting recent claims that warfare is a significant factor in Maya settlement
patterning.”
Brown, Clifford T. and Walter R. T. Witschey
“The Geographic Analysis of Ancient Maya Polity and Settlement”. A paper presented at
the Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative Conference, City University, Hong Kong, January
2001. Published in the ECAI CD-ROM, Proceedings of the 2001 Pacific Neighborhood
Consortium and Electronic Cultural Atlas initiative Conference, Academic Sinica, Taiwan.
On the web at:
http://mayagis.smv.org/papers.htm
(accessed 2008 March 13)
The authors describe their development of “a geographic information system (GIS)
for the purpose of studying prehistoric Maya settlement and society.” They write that
“The GIS is composed of archaeological, epigraphic, and locational data. It includes
the whole Maya area and is designed for the study of regional issues, such as
political organization, dialectology, and material culture.”
Brown and Witschey first briefly describe the ancient Maya and note that “Most of the
problems and analyses that we discuss below concern lowland Maya culture,
although the GIS includes data from the Maya highlands, too.” Next, they provide an
excellent review of theories regarding “the scale and character of Maya politial
organization.” There is an excellent descripton of the methods used to collect, map,
and analyse all data relevant to these questions. To date, they have concentrated
their study on some 1197 archaeological sites in the state of Yucatán. There is a
bibliography of sources especially relevant to their paper. The PowerPoint
presentation from their 2001 paper is included.
Brown, Clifford T. and Walter R. T. Witschey
“Results of Survey in Central Yucatán, México”. Presented at the symposium “Regional and
Community Organization in the Northern Lowlands: Papers in Honor of the Life and Legacy
of Ed Kurjack”, at the annual meeting of the Society for American Arachaeology, San Juan,
Puerto Rico, April 29, 2006.
On the web at:
http://mayagis.smv.org/papers.htm
(accessed 2008 March 13)
The authors describe a survey they conducted July-August 1005 in the central portion
of the State of Yucatán that “generally represents the eastern part of Mayapan’s
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