Disappearance of the Mayan Civilization
Dawn Herron- (su200126206)
Dr. Caren Stayer
World Cultures I online
01/13/14

The End of the Maya Empire:
In 800 A.D. the Maya Empire contained of a number of powerful city-states spreading from southern Mexico to northern Honduras. These cities were home to massive populations and were ruled by a leading choice that could understand vast armies and demanded to be inclined from the stars and planets themselves. Maya culture was at its highest, massive temples were lined up in exactness with the night sky, stone carvings were made to celebrate the events of great leaders and long distance skill was prosperous. However a hundred years later, …show more content…

Improved farming methods such as draining wetlands for planting or terracing hills picked up some of the sagging, and improved trade also helped, but the large population in the cities must have put great tension on the food production. A shortage or other agricultural disaster affecting these basic crops could surely have caused the downfall of the ancient Maya.
Civil Strife Theory:
As the populations in the large cities grew, great strain was placed on the working class to produce food, build temples, clear rainforest, lay rock slabs and do other labor jobs. At the same time, food became more and more limited. The idea that a hungry, overworked working class might take over the ruling choice is not too unbelievable, especially if struggle between city-states was as prevalent as researchers believe.
Environmental Change Theory:
Climate change may also have done in the ancient Maya. As the Maya were reliant on the most basic agriculture and a handful of crops, added by hunting and fishing, they were very helpless to droughts, floods, or any change in the conditions that affected their food supply. Some researchers have recognized some climatic changes that have occurred around that time. For instance, the coastal water levels rose towards the end of the Classic period. As coastal villages flooded, people would have moved to the larger cities, placing draining upon their properties while at the same time losing