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Research Article
David L. Lentz
University of Cincinnati
Corresponding Author
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The city of Tikal, a major center of the ancient Maya world, has been the focus of archaeological research for over a century, yet the interactions between the Maya and the surrounding Neotropical forests remain largely enigmatic. To help fill that void, our study used a powerful new technology, environmental DNA analysis, which enabled us to characterize the site core vegetation associated with the artificial reservoirs that served as the city water supply. Because the area has no permanent water sources, these reservoirs were key to the survival of the city. In the absence of specific evidence, the nature of the vegetation surrounding the reservoirs has been the subject of scientific hypotheses for decades. To address these hypotheses we proceeded to capture homologous sequences of vascular plant DNA extracted from reservoir sediments using 120-bp genetic probes in a targeted enrichment approach. Samples date from the Early Preclassic period (1780 − 1620 BCE) to the Early Postclassic period (900–1100 CE), encompassing the time before, during and after the occupation of Tikal (1000 BCE-900 CE). Results indicate that during the Maya occupation the banks of the ancient reservoirs were primarily fringed with native tropical forest vegetation rather than domesticated species.
Keywords
environmental DNA analysis, core vegetation, artificial reservoirs, Arboreal Cityscapes, Tikal
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No competing interests reported.
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On 15 Mar, 2021
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This preprint is under consideration at Scientific Reports. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research Article
David L. Lentz
University of Cincinnati
Corresponding Author
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 03 Mar, 2021
No community comments so far
Review #5 received
Received 26 Mar, 2021
Review #1 received
Received 26 Mar, 2021
Review #4 received
Received 26 Mar, 2021
Review #3 received
Received 26 Mar, 2021
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 15 Mar, 2021
Reviewer #4 agreed
On 15 Mar, 2021
Reviewer #5 agreed
On 15 Mar, 2021
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 15 Mar, 2021
Reviewer #10 agreed
On 15 Mar, 2021
Reviewer #6 agreed
On 15 Mar, 2021
Reviewer #9 agreed
On 15 Mar, 2021
Reviewer #8 agreed
On 15 Mar, 2021
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 12 Mar, 2021
Editor assigned
On 02 Mar, 2021
Editor invited
On 02 Mar, 2021
Submission checks complete
On 02 Mar, 2021
First submitted
On 15 Feb, 2021
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
The city of Tikal, a major center of the ancient Maya world, has been the focus of archaeological research for over a century, yet the interactions between the Maya and the surrounding Neotropical forests remain largely enigmatic. To help fill that void, our study used a powerful new technology, environmental DNA analysis, which enabled us to characterize the site core vegetation associated with the artificial reservoirs that served as the city water supply. Because the area has no permanent water sources, these reservoirs were key to the survival of the city. In the absence of specific evidence, the nature of the vegetation surrounding the reservoirs has been the subject of scientific hypotheses for decades. To address these hypotheses we proceeded to capture homologous sequences of vascular plant DNA extracted from reservoir sediments using 120-bp genetic probes in a targeted enrichment approach. Samples date from the Early Preclassic period (1780 − 1620 BCE) to the Early Postclassic period (900–1100 CE), encompassing the time before, during and after the occupation of Tikal (1000 BCE-900 CE). Results indicate that during the Maya occupation the banks of the ancient reservoirs were primarily fringed with native tropical forest vegetation rather than domesticated species.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
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