Peer-Reviewed Papers by Beniamino Volta
The Real Business of Ancient Maya Economies: From Farmers’ Fields to Rulers’ Realms, ed. Marylin A. Masson, David A. Freidel, Arthur A. Demarest, pp. 352–367. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, 2020
Landscapes of the Itza: Archaeology and Art History at Chichen Itza and Neighboring Sites , 2018
Chichen Itza is one of the best-known yet most enigmatic cities of the ancient Maya. Important sc... more Chichen Itza is one of the best-known yet most enigmatic cities of the ancient Maya. Important scholarly debates still surround its basic chronology and the people who built and lived in the city. These academic discussions are complemented by a colorful background of popular speculation. Early explorers, such as Augustus Le Plongeon, merged the two and sometimes created wild tales involving lost continents, unrequited love, sacrificial virgins, and ancient Egypt. These narratives still fuel contemporary interest in Chichen Itza, as do the more recently developed tenets of New Age spirituality. Although there is no reason to think that Chichen Itza was built by aliens or Queen Moo of Atlantis, the city remains a focus of both scholarly and popular interest. In this introductory chapter, we hope to lift—or at least peek under— the veil of confusion surrounding Chichen Itza. Because we are archaeologists, we concentrate on the history of archaeological exploration and the interpretation of colonial and ancient texts concerning the site. Our goal here is to provide a background to " how we know what we know " about Chichen Itza and to hint at why we still do not know so many important things about this ancient Maya city.
Ecology and Society, 2016
We report a study of central Maya lowland dynastic information networks, i.e., six cities’ extern... more We report a study of central Maya lowland dynastic information networks, i.e., six cities’ external elite ceramic influences, and how they reflect the decision-making practices of Maya elites over 3000 years. Forest cover, i.e., Moraceae family pollen, was added to the network analysis to provide ecological boundary conditions, thus ecologically moderated information networks. Principal components analysis revealed three dominant patterns. First, the networking of interior cities into powerful polities in the Late Preclassic and Classic periods (400 BCE-800 CE). In a second pattern, coastal cities emerged as key entrepôts based on marine navigation (Terminal and Postclassic periods, 800-1500 CE). Climate dynamics and sustainability considerations facilitated the transition. Forest cover, a measure of ecosystem health, shows interior forests diminished as interior cities networked but rebounded as their networks declined. By contrast, coastal forests flourished with networks implying that the marine-based economy was sustainable. Third, in the Classic, the network-dominant coast, west or east, changed with interior polities’ political struggles, the critical transition occurring after 695 CE as Tikal gained dominance over the Calakmul-Caracol alliance. Beginning with the Late Preclassic about 2000 years ago, it is possible to assign names to the decision makers by referencing the growing literature on written Maya records. Although the detectable decision sequence evident in this analysis is very basic, we believe it does open possible avenues to much deeper understanding as the study proceeds into the future. The Integrated History and Future of People on Earth–Maya working group that sponsored the analysis anticipates that it will provide actionable social science intelligence for future decision making at the global scale
The Ancient Maya and Their Central American Neighbors: Settlement Patterns, Architecture, Hieroglyphic Texts, and Ceramics, ed. Geoffrey E. Braswell, pp. 356–402. Routledge, London and New York, 2014
The Ancient Maya and Their Central American Neighbors: Settlement Patterns, Architecture, Hieroglyphic Texts, and Ceramics, ed. Geoffrey E. Braswell, pp. 245–307. Routledge, London and New York, 2014
The Ancient Maya and Their Central American Neighbors: Settlement Patterns, Architecture, Hieroglyphic Texts, and Ceramics, edited by Geoffrey E. Braswell, pp. 245–307. Routledge, London and New York, 2014
The Resilience and Vulnerability of Ancient Landscapes: Transforming Maya Archaeology through IHOPE, ed. Arlen F. Chase and Vernon L. Scarborough, pp. 101–123. Archaeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association, vol. 24. Arlington, Virginia, 2014
Estudios de Cultura Maya, 2012
Antiquity Project Gallery, 2009
Other Publications by Beniamino Volta
Encyclopedia of the Ancient Maya, ed. Walter R. T. Witschey, 2015
Encyclopedia of the Ancient Maya, ed. Walter R. T. Witschey, 2015
Encyclopedia of the Ancient Maya, ed. Walter R. T. Witschey, 2015
Los Investigadores de la Cultura Maya 21, Tomo II, pp. 265–278. Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Campeche, 2013
Memorias del coloquio “El manejo del agua a través del tiempo en la península de Yucatán,” pp. 12–29. Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, 2013
XXV Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2011, Vol. 2, edited by Bárbara Arroyo, Lorena Paiz, and Héctor Mejía, pp. 887–901. Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, Instituto de Antropología e Historia, Asociación Tikal, Guatemala City, 2012
Los Investigadores de la Cultura Maya 19, Tomo II, pp. 135–151. Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Campeche, 2011
Ethnicity from Various Angles and Through Varied Lenses: Yesterday's Today in Latin America, edited by Christine Hunefeldt and Leon Zamosc, pp. 58–72. Sussex Academic Press, Brighton, 2011
Presentations by Beniamino Volta
Paper presented at the 56th International Congress of Americanists, Salamanca, Spain, July 15--20, 2018
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Peer-Reviewed Papers by Beniamino Volta
Other Publications by Beniamino Volta
Presentations by Beniamino Volta