Researchers in Belize have discovered a massive 4,000-year-old fish trap network that was constructed by hunter-gatherers. The system, which covers nearly 42 square kilometers, was used to catch fish and other aquatic foods, providing sustenance for the growth of early Maya centers.
The Discovery
Using remote sensing techniques, researchers identified a vast network of shallow channels covering nearly 42 square kilometers in Belize’s Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. The channels were mapped during the summer dry season in 2017, revealing nearly 60 ponds near the crisscrossing channels.
Radiocarbon Dating and Geological Signs
Radiocarbon dating of material from three excavated channels indicates that hunter-gatherers initially constructed the fish-trapping setup around 4,000 years ago. Geological signs of a drought from about 4,200 to 3,900 years ago suggest that the area turned from a year-round to seasonal marshland at that time, spurring a dietary shift from cultivated maize to aquatic foods.
Ancient Menus
The study suggests that ancient menus in this region included fish, turtles, mollusks, waterfowl, and edible seeds of amaranth plants that grow well on open landscapes during droughts. No signs of maize pollen were found in the channel excavations.
Implications for Maya Civilization
The discovery indicates that aquatic foods at least partly supported the rise of Maya civilization roughly a millennium later. The fish-trapping network fed an average of around 15,000 people annually, providing sustenance for expanding human populations in lowland Central America.
References
- E. Harrison-Buck et al., “Late Archaic large-scale fisheries in the wetlands of the pre-Columbian Maya lowlands,” Science Advances, November 22, 2024. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adq1444
The Rise of Maya Civilization
The discovery of this massive construction project indicates that aquatic foods at least partly supported the rise of Maya civilization roughly a millennium later. The fish-trapping network fed the growth of early Maya centers.
Remote Sensing Techniques Used in Research
Remote sensing techniques enabled researchers to identify a massive fish-trapping network, including a pond and earthen channels, constructed in Central America around 4,000 years ago.
Timeline of Construction and Use
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Hunter-gatherers initially constructed the fish-trapping setup around 4,000 years ago.
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Radiocarbon dating of material from three excavated channels indicates that hunter-gatherers initially constructed the fish-trapping setup around 4,000 years ago.
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The area turned from a year-round to seasonal marshland at that time, spurring a dietary shift from cultivated maize to aquatic foods.
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Maya villagers reaped the fish-trap system’s aquatic bounty from around 3,200 to 1,800 years ago.
Future Research
Future field work will probe for remains of pre-Maya settlements near the fish-trapping system. The researchers will also investigate possible canal networks identified by remote sensing at two other wetlands in Belize and one in southern Mexico.
