Itzan

The lowland Maya adapted to their changing environment in different ways, and are thought to have abandoned their cities in response to a devastating drought around 730-900 CE. This project converts real geochemical data and the archaeological site of Itzan into a high-fidelity visualization representing the changing population, vegetation, and climate of the ancient Maya population over 6000 years. The project moves beyond conventional data visualization to create an affectual experience that enables new ways for spectators to understand complex patterns found in scientific data. By Benjamin Gwinneth