In terms of evolutionary perspective, the rank-order and rank-size patterns combined with construction and population histories seem to show several interesting features. First the regional urban centers show chrysalis growth patterns rather than transformational change. That is, growth patterns produce not much qualitative change in the nature of the centers before they reach a threshold of twenty-five courtyards or more. As suggested by our geographer colleague, Richard Jones (Adams and Jones 1981: 318), this threshold excludes those sites that were not either capitals of regional states or administrative capitals of districts. Rio Azul shows a transformational growth, but also an extraordinarily rapid growth, and apparently this was a result of the influx of outside population as well as incorporation into the Tikal regional state.
La Milpa shows a periodic growth pattern, one enlargement in the Early Classic and one in Late Classic 2 (Tourtellot et al. 1993). According to the rank-size analysis it may well have been a part of the Tikal regional state in Early Classic times. However, its suite of carved monuments may imply that it was more a client state than a subordinate unit in the larger Tikal state. La Milpa reached its threshold size in the later period and possibly became a regional capital in its own right in Late Classic 2, according to the above analysis. Indeed, Robichaux has recently deciphered a clause on Rio Azul Stela 2, which alludes to a visit to Rio Azul from an important personage from La Milpa (Robichaux, personal communication, 1997). Rio Azul at this time was long past its prime; it was being reconstructed somewhat, but added only the equivalent of four courtyards of architecture during the Late Classic.
Secondly, the feudal model (analogy) proposed by Adams and Smith (1981) best fits the Late Classic 2 period. Criticism of the model has partly been on the basis of its lack of fit to the processual circumstances of the Late Roman Empire, which produced Europe’s feudal societies. The latter were partly the result of political and economic decentralization; disintegration is probably a more accurate term. Our proposed feudal model is not only structurally similar to Late Classic 2 society, but now also has processual similarities.
In the Three Rivers regional version of Late Classic 2, ontogeny possibly recapitulates phytogeny. This is a processual analogy to paleontology and means that the embryonic development of the individual summarily recapitulates the evolutionary history of its species. The great number of new centers that were established in the Three Rivers region in Late Classic 2 may recapitulate some of the Late Preclassic developmental history in the sense of population buildup, reorganization of the population, and development of administrative structures.
Commentary on periodicity is always intriguing, can generate endless controversy, and perhaps is misleading in any theoretical way. However, one should at least make a trial examination of the culture and population histories of the Three Rivers region in this way.
In terms of population history, there are three population buildups, as can be seen by referring to Eigure 15.3. There are four cultural florescences as measured by transformations, major building episodes, and inferred political events. The beginnings of these florescences are three to four hundred years apart and the episodes have durations of from 150 to 200 years. Finally, there are at least three disasters in the record as measured by population decline, cessation of construction, and inferred political events. The greatest disaster is that of the collapse of ca. a. d. 850. Another occurred ca. a. d. 530, which is the Hiatus. Both catastrophes are pretty clearly triggered by long-term droughts and associated ecological problems. The earliest disaster is more problematic and was less traumatic. It seems to have occurred about a. d. 150 about the end of the Late Preclassic and perhaps is associated with a drought episode as measured by the drying up of the major shallow lakes in northwestern Peten, specifically those at Nakbe and later at El Mirador (Hansen 1990; Gill 1999). Braudel (1984: 71-85) discerned the operation of natural cycles of this sort in his longest historical periods (“conjunctures”), and perhaps we have that kind of phenomenon here.
World History
