The Broader Maya Genomic Picture

The 2024 study of the Chichén Itzá chultún is one contribution to a growing body of ancient Maya genomic research that is building a more detailed picture of population history, movement, and change across the Maya world over millennia.

Ancient genomic research in Mesoamerica is a younger field than comparable work in Europe or East Asia, partly because the preservation conditions in tropical and subtropical environments are challenging for ancient DNA, and partly because the ethical and regulatory context for research on Indigenous human remains has required more extensive community engagement and has sometimes limited the speed of sample acquisition and analysis.

The development of more sensitive extraction methods and the increasing willingness of research teams to invest in the necessary community consultation have accelerated the pace of research in recent years.