The Mayan Collapse Debate
Credit: Anna StampfliMany factors were considered in the fall of the Maya civilization, including ecological, political, and social. In the eighth century AD, Peten and southern lowlands were relinquished, and the “Long Court Calendar” ended. In Tikal, the Elite disappeared, and the population was reduced to one-third. Tikal has vanished within a century.
Theories of the 1970s believed that Tikal integrated warfare and rivalry between regions rose due to a decline in agricultural productivity and epidemic disease, which resulted in a population decrease and, therefore, an inevitable failure. However, the evidence was insufficient to indicate what transpired.
Credit: ancientamerindia.wordpress.com
Dr. Arthur Demarest believed that warfare was the culprit. Dos Pilas is located in northern Guatemala, only one hundred and five kilometers from Tikal. The later rulers had the desire to expand this civilization. They extended their territory to 3884 kilometers by the mid-eighth century.
The Dos Pilas rulers controlled the Jade and Obsidian trading routes, most of which went through Tikal. In Ruler 2’s burial chamber, hieroglyphics explain how the lords had diplomatic relationships and political alliances with the surrounding communities and describe their military operations.
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| Source: historyshistories.com |
On the fourth side, they built a defense wall. Unfortunately, Aquateca resulted in repeated warfare, forcing the former Don Pilas people to move to more substantial towns and villages in Punta de Chimino. They built more defense walls and dug three hundred meters long moats.
Punta de Chimino Credit: travel.sygic.com
Jared Diamond developed the ecological overshoot model. He believed that the increased population with intensive agriculture ultimately resulted in stripping resources, which led to soil erosion and deforestation.
Similarly, Patrick Culbert focused on population and agriculture in the southern lowlands. According to Culbert, population densities rose by two hundred persons per square kilometer during the Late Classic. The numbers increased too fast for the people to adjust.
In Tikal, people transported a large abundance of food from fifty to one hundred kilometers. There was a lack of intensive agricultural leadership. For example, in-field repair after flood damage was not considered. The ideologies of the Elite emphasized building projects and military activity.
The short-term resulted in a failed community because no long-term environmental plans were in place. There was no crop rotation, and there was not enough yield with an increase in population. Erosion resulted from the lack of terraces constructed, which resulted in deforestation. Drought cycles were a repeating factor in Lake Chichancanab, located in the Yucatan, every two hundred and eight years. Studies show two dry culminations; one was in the first Classic Maya collapse.
Between 550 and 700 AD, the Copan expanded in population primarily in the core and most critical outer banks. In addition, a smaller community existed in the rural population. Between 700 and 850 AD, the population increased and almost doubled every 80-100 years.
In 810 AD, the Dynasty ended, and half of the core and outer bank population was lost. Ecological and political power declined. The rural population increased by twenty percent. In 1150 AD, the population was five to eight thousand people.
The fall of the Maya civilization resulted from many factors, including the ideologies that helped raise their culture. The Mayans’ primary focus was to please the gods. Everything built was for the relationship between the Elite and the Outerworld. These ideas were not realistic for growing a community.
Because of this, the focus on agriculture was compromised. No one was appointed to focus solely on crop production. Besides, because of the expansion of the population, many resources were depleted, not only in agriculture but also in water in many areas. As a result, the large game was almost nonexistent. In addition, the deforestation used to build terraces and create firewood resulted in less solar radiation.
The domino effect causes less evaporated water for the land, resulting in fewer clouds and a massive reduction in rainfall. Drought is a consequence that depletes the soil and causes unsuccessful crop growth. Villagers would then have to move due to a lack of drinking water or face starvation. However, if it were solely an ecological factor, the people of Tikal would have been the first to be affected.
Even though the Maya civilization was not a result of only one factor, ideology seems to take precedence. Tikal was structured based on the elite and power. Their very height of success was due to their structures, warfare, and control of trade. Because of the lack of planning for the future and devotion to materialism, it was inevitable that the civilization would fail.
Similarly, Patrick Culbert focused on population and agriculture in the southern lowlands. According to Culbert, population densities rose by two hundred persons per square kilometer during the Late Classic. The numbers increased too fast for the people to adjust.
Source: sciencedirect.com
In Tikal, people transported a large abundance of food from fifty to one hundred kilometers. There was a lack of intensive agricultural leadership. For example, in-field repair after flood damage was not considered. The ideologies of the Elite emphasized building projects and military activity.
The short-term resulted in a failed community because no long-term environmental plans were in place. There was no crop rotation, and there was not enough yield with an increase in population. Erosion resulted from the lack of terraces constructed, which resulted in deforestation. Drought cycles were a repeating factor in Lake Chichancanab, located in the Yucatan, every two hundred and eight years. Studies show two dry culminations; one was in the first Classic Maya collapse.
Source: pnas.org
Between 550 and 700 AD, the Copan expanded in population primarily in the core and most critical outer banks. In addition, a smaller community existed in the rural population. Between 700 and 850 AD, the population increased and almost doubled every 80-100 years.
In 810 AD, the Dynasty ended, and half of the core and outer bank population was lost. Ecological and political power declined. The rural population increased by twenty percent. In 1150 AD, the population was five to eight thousand people.
Credit: historyshistories.com
The fall of the Maya civilization resulted from many factors, including the ideologies that helped raise their culture. The Mayans’ primary focus was to please the gods. Everything built was for the relationship between the Elite and the Outerworld. These ideas were not realistic for growing a community.
Because of this, the focus on agriculture was compromised. No one was appointed to focus solely on crop production. Besides, because of the expansion of the population, many resources were depleted, not only in agriculture but also in water in many areas. As a result, the large game was almost nonexistent. In addition, the deforestation used to build terraces and create firewood resulted in less solar radiation.
The domino effect causes less evaporated water for the land, resulting in fewer clouds and a massive reduction in rainfall. Drought is a consequence that depletes the soil and causes unsuccessful crop growth. Villagers would then have to move due to a lack of drinking water or face starvation. However, if it were solely an ecological factor, the people of Tikal would have been the first to be affected.
Credit: Jimmy Baum
Even though the Maya civilization was not a result of only one factor, ideology seems to take precedence. Tikal was structured based on the elite and power. Their very height of success was due to their structures, warfare, and control of trade. Because of the lack of planning for the future and devotion to materialism, it was inevitable that the civilization would fail.
References
This debate was a collaboration between my University of Central Florida peers.
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