Maya Civilization Collapse - 1311 Words

The example of societal collapse in which I will be making reference to throughout this essay is the Maya civilization. The Maya civilization is, â€Å"probably the best known of all early American civilizations.† (Fagan, 1995) It was at its strongest point between AD 300 AND 900. Around AD 900 was the time of its collapse. This civilization was developed in a densely, tropical forest on either highlands or lowlands. Today to visit a Mayan site, people would go to the modern Mexican state, capital city of Merida. This site was once home to the â€Å"New Worlds most advanced Native American civilization before European arrival.† (Diamond, 2009) Over the years there has been many predictions on what had caused the Maya civilization to collapse. At†¦show more content†¦He stated that if the communication between the rulers and the Gods failed and the hope for a good harvesting season and the production of rainfall to occur, tensions would develop rapidly among the group. Here we have another example of how climate change and societal factors can affect the societal well-being of a group. Traditions were handed down from generation to generation. The ways of living and teaching were embedded into each Mayan person. Some of these ways of living consisted as being hunter-gatherers, this is because their predecessors were known for their hunting and gathering of supplies to keep them alive. Climate change and education come into consideration here whilst talking about their well-being. Due to the fact that their predecessors were hunter-gatherers, the weather had a major impact on their ways of collecting food and supplies. If there was severe weather conditions throughout the forest there was a limit in the amount of food collected and in terms of the education view it declines also because they cannot learn from their ancestors how to survive in these conditions. It is believed that they were not savages but people who developed their own cult ureShow MoreRelatedThe Fall of the Mayan Empire Essay1517 Words   |  7 Pages The fall of the Mayan Empire The collapse of the Mayan Empire is one of history’s greatest mysteries. It was one of the most advanced and developed civilizations of its time period, reining during the Pre-Classic period and into the Classic and Post-Classic Periods (2000 B.C. – 900 A.D.). The territory stretched from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, down to modern day El Salvador in Central America. 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