This article addresses Postclassic Maya population recovery in the aftermath of the collapse of Terminal Classic period political centers by 1100 CE in northern Yucatan, Mexico. While much has been written about the collapse of northern lowland Classic period Maya civilization by the eleventh century CE, we focus here on longer-term outcomes from a demographic perspective, during the Postclassic period (1150-1500 CE). We analyze survey data from the adjacent and sequential archaeological sites of Tichac and Mayapán to support three arguments. First, rural zones were populous prior to the northern collapse. Second, inhabitants of rural zones persisted during the cycle of political collapse and recovery. Third the ubiquity of Postclassic Maya settlements after the twelfth century CE suggests resiliency in the region marked by a rapid rate of sociopolitical regeneration and substantial (if partial) demographic recovery. We frame findings from our study area with broader evidence from regional archaeological settlement studies and early Colonial documents attesting to robust northern Maya populations at the time of European contact. We consider the important role of rural localities in fostering recovery by storing cultural knowledge, providing destinations for outmigration, and serving as hubs for long-term, cyclical regeneration of state society.

中文翻译：

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尤卡坦北部崩溃后的后古典玛雅人口恢复和农村复原力


本文讨论了公元 1100 年墨西哥尤卡坦半岛北部 Terminal Classic 时期政治中心崩溃后的后古典玛雅人口恢复。虽然关于北部低地古典时期玛雅文明在公元 11 世纪崩溃的文章很多，但我们在这里从人口学的角度关注后古典时期（公元 1150-1500 年）的长期结果。我们分析了来自 Tichac 和 Mayapán 相邻和连续考古遗址的调查数据，以支持三个论点。首先，在北方崩溃之前，农村地区人口众多。其次，农村地区的居民在政治崩溃和恢复的周期中持续存在。第三，公元 12 世纪后古典玛雅定居点的普遍存在表明该地区的弹性，其特点是社会政治再生的快速速度和大量（如果部分）人口恢复。我们将研究领域的发现与区域考古定居研究和早期殖民文献的更广泛证据相结合，证明在欧洲人接触时北方玛雅人人口强大。我们认为农村地区通过储存文化知识、提供移民外出目的地以及作为国家社会长期、周期性再生的中心，在促进复苏方面发挥着重要作用。