Studying Paleoindian Cultures and Environment of Mesoamerica by Exploring the Aquifer of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula

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DIGITAL CULTURAL HERITAGE: Studying Paleoindian Cultures and Environment of Mesoamerica by Exploring the Aquifer of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula

Submerged cave systems in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula preserve an exceptional record of natural and cultural history. Once dry passages accessible to humans and animals during the Late Pleistocene, these caves now lie within one of the world’s largest coastal aquifers, containing archaeological, paleontological, geological, and ecological evidence that is often inaccessible by any means other than cave diving.

In this presentation, Julien Fortin, exploration diver and Chief Information Officer at El Centro Investigador del Sistema Acuífero de Quintana Roo (CINDAQ), will introduce how exploration, digital documentation, and spatial data management are transforming the study of this hidden landscape. Through the ongoing documentation of systems such as Ox Bel Ha, CINDAQ combines technical cave diving, cartography, cave survey, surface LiDAR, remote sensing, drone imagery, 3D photogrammetry, video documentation, environmental sensors, and Geographic Information Systems to “bring the caves to the surface” for researchers, students, heritage professionals, and the public.

Special attention will be given to scalable workflows for underwater cultural heritage documentation. Automated photogrammetric processing, standardized metadata, and integration with a GIS-based Single Source of Truth allow 3D models, cave maps, field observations, scientific assessments, and spatial layers to be linked within a coherent research framework. This improves accessibility, supports interdisciplinary collaboration, and helps reveal patterns that may otherwise remain invisible, from Paleoindian activity and faunal remains to hydrological and environmental indicators.

By presenting the Yucatan aquifer as both an exploration frontier and a digital research archive, this talk examines how emerging visualization and data technologies can expand the reach of cultural heritage science while supporting the conservation of a fragile groundwater system.