Scientific Research

The Río Azul Regional Archaeological Project (RARAP) carries out an interdisciplinary scientific program to reconstruct the cultural, environmental, and political history of the northeastern Petén. Using a combination of LiDAR mapping, geological studies, targeted excavations, and laboratory analyses, the project investigates how ancient Maya communities shaped and interacted with their tropical karst landscape from the Preclassic through the Late Classic periods. Our work focuses on understanding long-term human–environment dynamics, territorial organization, and the evolution of settlement systems within the Mirador–Río Azul region.

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Ceramic analysis ties these diverse lines of evidence together with a refined chronological framework. Stratified assemblages from excavations—integrated with typological, petrographic, and compositional studies—trace cultural continuity, technological change, and interactions between Río Azul, Likintun, Kohob, and neighboring centers. Together, these multidisciplinary approaches allow RARAP to reconstruct a detailed picture of how ancient Maya communities engineered their landscape, organized their territories, and adapted to ecological and political challenges across centuries.

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Geological and geomorphological analysis enhances our understanding of the natural setting in which ancient communities operated. Studies of limestone formations, calcretes, faults, sinkholes, and other karst features show how geological structure shaped water availability, settlement placement, and agricultural potential. Complementary geoarchaeological research—including soil analysis, sediment profiling, and paleoenvironmental sampling—provides insights into ancient land use, hydrological management, and responses to environmental variability.

Excavations across the region focus on key features tied to sustainability and political organization. Work in agricultural terraces and bajos margins reveals strategies for managing soils and water in challenging environments, while excavations in reservoirs uncover hydraulic engineering techniques essential for supporting large populations. Investigations of causeways illuminate their roles in regional integration and mobility, and excavations in ceremonial complexes document architectural sequences, ritual activity, and sociopolitical change.

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LiDAR mapping and remote sensing form the backbone of our regional-scale research. High-resolution datasets reveal causeways, defensive walls, residential clusters, water reservoirs, terraces, and extensive agricultural features that were previously invisible under dense forest canopy. Through field mapping and validation, we confirm these remote-sensing signatures and integrate geospatial models with archaeological evidence to reconstruct settlement layout, communication networks, and landscape engineering at a regional scale.