Making a catastrophe out of a crisis: climatic and environmental disturbance in Mesoamerica
by
Sarah Metcalfe
Department of Geography, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK

Droughts, volcanic eruptions, soil erosion and contamination of surface waters are forms of environmental disturbance common across much of Mesoamerica. The magnitude and duration of these events and their long term effects on the environment are of considerable interest, especially because they are intimately bound up with societal actions and reactions. In some cases, people are both villains and victims.

Lake sediment studies from a range of sites across Mesoamerica provide records of these periodic environmental crises, which in some cases, have been catastrophic in their effects. In most cases, catastrophic change is cumulative and driven by multiple causes. Two strands have been of particular interest: the relative impacts of pre- and post-Hispanic cultures on the environment and the impact of climate on culture, typified by the role of drought in the 'collapse' of the Maya in the late 9th century AD.

Using examples from the Maya lowlands and the highlands of central Mexico the impacts of some of the main drivers of environmental change are discussed. Stable isotope records from the Yucatan and Peten have provided some of the clearest records of Holocene drought for Mesoamerica, but the impact of these drought episodes must be seen in the context of the sensitivities of individual sites and the vulnerabilities of Mayan society. In the highlands of central Mexico, evidence for drought is less clear cut, but volcanic eruptions, long term soil erosion and degradation of surface waters have all been viewed as potentially catastrophic. Lake sediment records offer a unique perspective on the nature of change in a context where the arrival of the Spanish is seen as a major cultural and environmental turning point. Such records also serve as a measure of recent changes, many of which have gone largely unrecognised. Perceptions and definitions of environmental catastrophes benefit from this longer view.

Date received: June 24, 2002