The Maya engineering paradox: Masters of water, prisoners of mercury
March 4, 2026
Under the supervision of Université de Montréal archaeology professor Christina Halperin, Ph.D. student Jean Tremblay spent six years, from 2018 to 2024, studying how the Mayan city of Ucanal managed its drinking water. Combining geochemistry and paleolimnology, his interdisciplinary study explored the archaeological and social issues surrounding access to water and status-based disparities in a densely populated, pre-Hispanic urban environment.
The findings have been reported in the journals Archaeometry and the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
Three reservoirs with distinct functions were excavated and analyzed at the Ucanal site in northern Guatemala: Aguada 2, which served a wealthy part of town; Aguada 3, located in a humbler neighborhood; and Piscina 2, which was connected to the city’s drainage system. Sediment records were analyzed for markers of biological pollution, such as cyanobacteria and fecal matter, and traces of chemical contamination.