Kathryn Reese-Taylor
Biographic Data
| ID | 772268 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Kathryn Reese-Taylor |
| GIVEN NAMES | Kathryn |
| FAMILY NAME | Reese-Taylor |
| SIGNATURE | REESE-TAYLOR K |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Calgary |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5583-174X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 45 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1995 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Lidar and Lost Cities: Examining the Public Presentation of Recent Lidar Findings through News Media
Overview This review considers how scientific archaeological publications, especially those relying on new digital technologies, can become sensationalized for the public in popular media. I present three separate examples of lidar-based mappings of ancient landscapes in the Amazon and Central Asia, each initially published by archaeological teams in the journals Nature or Science since 2022. These academic publications were followed by many news…
Variation in ancient Maya governance: A long-term perspective from the central palace at Yaxnohcah, Mexico
Archaeology has seen a recent reemergence of interest in ancient forms of governance and variations in political institutions across time and space. While studies of ancient Maya politics have frequently assumed a unified political system, an increasing pool of data suggests that there was in fact a high degree of variability regarding governance and political practice. Here we discuss changes in rulership and power relations from the perspective…
Pre-Mamom Pottery Producers in the Heart of the Yucatan Peninsula
Recent research in the Maya Lowlands has revealed substantial new evidence for the first pottery producers at about 1000-600 bc, during the early Middle Preclassic period. This comparatively late adoption is a special case in Mesoamerica, where pottery appeared elsewhere up to a millennium earlier. Although archaic lifeways had long been established in the region, and pottery technology was likely known to some archaic communities, these new data…
Interpreting δ 13 C Values Obtained on SOM from Ancient Maya Reservoirs and Depressions
Elemental analyzer (EA) Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry was used to measure ∂ 13 C values on soil organic matter from reservoirs and depressions at the ancient Maya urban centers of Tikal, Guatemala and Yaxnohcah, Mexico. Variation in δ 13 C values on soil organic matter were > −2.0‰, which suggests enrichment from C4 plants including maize, other tropical grasses (Poaceae), and tropical sedges (Cyperaceae), CAM plants (Clusia sp.), and cyanobact…
The Development of Landesque Capital in the Maya Lowlands During the Middle Preclassic
In this article, we argue that landesque capital was integral to the development of complexity in the Maya Lowlands. Such features involved permanent investments in the landscape that supported material and ideological practices, resulting in increased sustainability and well-being. We contend that these developments stemmed from accretional modifications to soils in the Preceramic/Early Preclassic, as well as intentional investments of labor in …
Preclassic Placemaking at Yaxnohcah, Mexico: A View From the Grazia and Helena Complexes
Archaeological excavations at Yaxnohcah have revealed a long sequence of sedentary occupation, from 1000 b.c. to a.d. 1400, with dynamic periods of growth occurring during the Middle (1000–400 b.c.) and Late Preclassic (400 b.c.–a.d. 200). Two of these complexes, Grazia and Helena, serve as case studies that reveal the transformative processes of this period, illustrating site evolution on a larger scale. The Grazia platform probably began as a r…
The Neighborhood Marketplaces of Yaxnohcah
This study focuses on the identification of Maya neighborhood marketplaces during the Late/Terminal Classic period (550-900 CE) in the urban landscape of Yaxnohcah, Campeche, Mexico. We use a configurational and contextual approach to identify four marketplaces that are situated in a strategic inner ring 1.5-2.5 km from the epicenter of the city. Physical features of the marketplaces include a plaza area of 2000-3100 m2, low perimeter platforms s…
Landscape and Power in Ancient Mesoamerica
The Cultural Poetics of Power and Space in Ancient Mesoamerica
For almost three thousand years, Mesoamerican societies have crafted spaces for ritual performance with the express purpose of forging power relations. However, in order to develop an understanding of the public discourse, Mesoamerican scholars must attend to the details of the data. The site of El Tajin was a major Epiclassic urban center on the northeastern fringes of Mesoamerica. During the Epiclassic period, the entire Mesoamerican political …
Founding Landscapes in the Central Karstic Uplands
In order to fully understand E Groups, they must be considered within the broader landscapes of the Preclassic (1000 BCE-CE 250). At Yaxnohcah, the E Group lies in the center of a vast dispersed settlement comprised of voluminous platforms. Recent excavations have revealed that the earliest manifestations of three of these platforms were likely built at the same time as the earliest E Group platform, during the early Middle Preclassic (1000–350 B…
Founding Landscapes in the Central Karstic Uplands
Employing airborne lidar and archaeological testing to determine the role of small depressions in water management at the ancient Maya site of Yaxnohcah, Campeche, Mexico
The First Settlers on Chetumal Bay
Progression and Issues in the Mesoamerican Geospatial Revolution: An Introduction
The use of airborne mapping lidar (Light Detection and Ranging), a.k.a airborne laser scanning (ALS), has had a major impact on archaeological research being carried out in Mesoamerica. Since being introduced in 2009, mapping lidar has revolutionized the spatial parameters of Mesoamerican, and especially Maya, archaeology by permitting the recovery of a complete landscape and settlement pattern for further analysis. However, like any new technolo…
Boots on the Ground at Yaxnohcah: Ground-Truthing Lidar in a Complex Tropical Landscape
This study proposes a sampling method for ground-truthing LiDAR-derived data that will allow researchers to verify or predict the accuracy of results over a large area. Our case study is focused on a 24 km 2 area centered on the site of Yaxnohcah in the Yucatan Peninsula. This area is characterized by a variety of dense tropical rainforest and wetland vegetation zones with limited road and trail access. Twenty-one 100 x 100 m blocks were selected…
Ritual Circuits as Key Elements in Maya Civic Center Designs
Sacred Places and Sacred Landscapes
This article discusses sacred places and landscapes within Mesoamerica. Sacred places and landscapes are created and evolve through human acts. While these places may reflect the cosmological organizing principles of society, they are not merely cosmograms but dynamic, complex landscapes created as settings for the reenactments of mytho-historical narratives. Narrative structure unifies the sacred places within broader landscapes and reinforces t…
Evidence of Resource Procurement and Manufacturing Techniques in Caddoan Ceramic Assemblages from the Sabine, Cypress, and Sulphur River Drainage Basins, Rusk and Titus Counties, Texas
Texas Utilities Services and Espey, Huston & Associates, Inc. have conducted ongoing archaeological investigations of cultural resources in Northeast Texas for the past 15 years. As a part of these studies, prehistoric Caddoan ceramic assemblages were recovered from 13 sites in three distinct drainage basins: three sites from the Sabine River drainage; three sites from the Cypress Creek drainage; and seven sites from the Sulphur River drainage. R…
Boots on the Ground at Yaxnohcah: Ground-Truthing Lidar in a Complex Tropical Landscape
This study proposes a sampling method for ground-truthing LiDAR-derived data that will allow researchers to verify or predict the accuracy of results over a large area. Our case study is focused on a 24 km 2 area centered on the site of Yaxnohcah in the Yucatan Peninsula. This area is characterized by a variety of dense tropical rainforest and wetland vegetation zones with limited road and trail access. Twenty-one 100 x 100 m blocks were selected…
Progression and Issues in the Mesoamerican Geospatial Revolution: An Introduction
The use of airborne mapping lidar (Light Detection and Ranging), a.k.a airborne laser scanning (ALS), has had a major impact on archaeological research being carried out in Mesoamerica. Since being introduced in 2009, mapping lidar has revolutionized the spatial parameters of Mesoamerican, and especially Maya, archaeology by permitting the recovery of a complete landscape and settlement pattern for further analysis. However, like any new technolo…
The Neighborhood Marketplaces of Yaxnohcah
This study focuses on the identification of Maya neighborhood marketplaces during the Late/Terminal Classic period (550-900 CE) in the urban landscape of Yaxnohcah, Campeche, Mexico. We use a configurational and contextual approach to identify four marketplaces that are situated in a strategic inner ring 1.5-2.5 km from the epicenter of the city. Physical features of the marketplaces include a plaza area of 2000-3100 m2, low perimeter platforms s…
Employing airborne lidar and archaeological testing to determine the role of small depressions in water management at the ancient Maya site of Yaxnohcah, Campeche, Mexico
The Development of Landesque Capital in the Maya Lowlands During the Middle Preclassic
In this article, we argue that landesque capital was integral to the development of complexity in the Maya Lowlands. Such features involved permanent investments in the landscape that supported material and ideological practices, resulting in increased sustainability and well-being. We contend that these developments stemmed from accretional modifications to soils in the Preceramic/Early Preclassic, as well as intentional investments of labor in …
Preclassic Placemaking at Yaxnohcah, Mexico: A View From the Grazia and Helena Complexes
Archaeological excavations at Yaxnohcah have revealed a long sequence of sedentary occupation, from 1000 b.c. to a.d. 1400, with dynamic periods of growth occurring during the Middle (1000–400 b.c.) and Late Preclassic (400 b.c.–a.d. 200). Two of these complexes, Grazia and Helena, serve as case studies that reveal the transformative processes of this period, illustrating site evolution on a larger scale. The Grazia platform probably began as a r…
Evidence of Resource Procurement and Manufacturing Techniques in Caddoan Ceramic Assemblages from the Sabine, Cypress, and Sulphur River Drainage Basins, Rusk and Titus Counties, Texas
Texas Utilities Services and Espey, Huston & Associates, Inc. have conducted ongoing archaeological investigations of cultural resources in Northeast Texas for the past 15 years. As a part of these studies, prehistoric Caddoan ceramic assemblages were recovered from 13 sites in three distinct drainage basins: three sites from the Sabine River drainage; three sites from the Cypress Creek drainage; and seven sites from the Sulphur River drainage. R…
Sacred Places and Sacred Landscapes
This article discusses sacred places and landscapes within Mesoamerica. Sacred places and landscapes are created and evolve through human acts. While these places may reflect the cosmological organizing principles of society, they are not merely cosmograms but dynamic, complex landscapes created as settings for the reenactments of mytho-historical narratives. Narrative structure unifies the sacred places within broader landscapes and reinforces t…
Ritual Circuits as Key Elements in Maya Civic Center Designs
The First Settlers on Chetumal Bay
Progression and Issues in the Mesoamerican Geospatial Revolution: An Introduction
The use of airborne mapping lidar (Light Detection and Ranging), a.k.a airborne laser scanning (ALS), has had a major impact on archaeological research being carried out in Mesoamerica. Since being introduced in 2009, mapping lidar has revolutionized the spatial parameters of Mesoamerican, and especially Maya, archaeology by permitting the recovery of a complete landscape and settlement pattern for further analysis. However, like any new technolo…
Boots on the Ground at Yaxnohcah: Ground-Truthing Lidar in a Complex Tropical Landscape
This study proposes a sampling method for ground-truthing LiDAR-derived data that will allow researchers to verify or predict the accuracy of results over a large area. Our case study is focused on a 24 km 2 area centered on the site of Yaxnohcah in the Yucatan Peninsula. This area is characterized by a variety of dense tropical rainforest and wetland vegetation zones with limited road and trail access. Twenty-one 100 x 100 m blocks were selected…
Founding Landscapes in the Central Karstic Uplands
In order to fully understand E Groups, they must be considered within the broader landscapes of the Preclassic (1000 BCE-CE 250). At Yaxnohcah, the E Group lies in the center of a vast dispersed settlement comprised of voluminous platforms. Recent excavations have revealed that the earliest manifestations of three of these platforms were likely built at the same time as the earliest E Group platform, during the early Middle Preclassic (1000–350 B…
Founding Landscapes in the Central Karstic Uplands
Employing airborne lidar and archaeological testing to determine the role of small depressions in water management at the ancient Maya site of Yaxnohcah, Campeche, Mexico
Landscape and Power in Ancient Mesoamerica
The Cultural Poetics of Power and Space in Ancient Mesoamerica
For almost three thousand years, Mesoamerican societies have crafted spaces for ritual performance with the express purpose of forging power relations. However, in order to develop an understanding of the public discourse, Mesoamerican scholars must attend to the details of the data. The site of El Tajin was a major Epiclassic urban center on the northeastern fringes of Mesoamerica. During the Epiclassic period, the entire Mesoamerican political …
The Neighborhood Marketplaces of Yaxnohcah
This study focuses on the identification of Maya neighborhood marketplaces during the Late/Terminal Classic period (550-900 CE) in the urban landscape of Yaxnohcah, Campeche, Mexico. We use a configurational and contextual approach to identify four marketplaces that are situated in a strategic inner ring 1.5-2.5 km from the epicenter of the city. Physical features of the marketplaces include a plaza area of 2000-3100 m2, low perimeter platforms s…
The Development of Landesque Capital in the Maya Lowlands During the Middle Preclassic
In this article, we argue that landesque capital was integral to the development of complexity in the Maya Lowlands. Such features involved permanent investments in the landscape that supported material and ideological practices, resulting in increased sustainability and well-being. We contend that these developments stemmed from accretional modifications to soils in the Preceramic/Early Preclassic, as well as intentional investments of labor in …
Preclassic Placemaking at Yaxnohcah, Mexico: A View From the Grazia and Helena Complexes
Archaeological excavations at Yaxnohcah have revealed a long sequence of sedentary occupation, from 1000 b.c. to a.d. 1400, with dynamic periods of growth occurring during the Middle (1000–400 b.c.) and Late Preclassic (400 b.c.–a.d. 200). Two of these complexes, Grazia and Helena, serve as case studies that reveal the transformative processes of this period, illustrating site evolution on a larger scale. The Grazia platform probably began as a r…
Interpreting δ 13 C Values Obtained on SOM from Ancient Maya Reservoirs and Depressions
Elemental analyzer (EA) Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry was used to measure ∂ 13 C values on soil organic matter from reservoirs and depressions at the ancient Maya urban centers of Tikal, Guatemala and Yaxnohcah, Mexico. Variation in δ 13 C values on soil organic matter were > −2.0‰, which suggests enrichment from C4 plants including maize, other tropical grasses (Poaceae), and tropical sedges (Cyperaceae), CAM plants (Clusia sp.), and cyanobact…
Pre-Mamom Pottery Producers in the Heart of the Yucatan Peninsula
Recent research in the Maya Lowlands has revealed substantial new evidence for the first pottery producers at about 1000-600 bc, during the early Middle Preclassic period. This comparatively late adoption is a special case in Mesoamerica, where pottery appeared elsewhere up to a millennium earlier. Although archaic lifeways had long been established in the region, and pottery technology was likely known to some archaic communities, these new data…
Lidar and Lost Cities: Examining the Public Presentation of Recent Lidar Findings through News Media
Overview This review considers how scientific archaeological publications, especially those relying on new digital technologies, can become sensationalized for the public in popular media. I present three separate examples of lidar-based mappings of ancient landscapes in the Amazon and Central Asia, each initially published by archaeological teams in the journals Nature or Science since 2022. These academic publications were followed by many news…
Variation in ancient Maya governance: A long-term perspective from the central palace at Yaxnohcah, Mexico
Archaeology has seen a recent reemergence of interest in ancient forms of governance and variations in political institutions across time and space. While studies of ancient Maya politics have frequently assumed a unified political system, an increasing pool of data suggests that there was in fact a high degree of variability regarding governance and political practice. Here we discuss changes in rulership and power relations from the perspective…
Geography (18 works) · Archaeology (17 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (9 works) · Latin American history and culture (9 works) · Maya (8 works) · History (7 works) · Computer Science (5 works) · Ecology (5 works) · Geology (5 works) · Mesoamerica (5 works)