The Mayan civilization began during 2000 B.C. SO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO THE MAYA? 30 chapters | It is possible to concentrate on two theories which determine climatic changes and the problem of the populations density as the main causes for the Mayan civilizations disappearance. succeed. imaginable degree, area of It is possible to concentrate on two theories which determine climatic changes and the problem of the populations density as the main causes for the Mayan civilizations disappearance. Repeated droughts, they theorize, would have caused food and water shortages, which would have led to starvation and disease. Weird & Wacky, Copyright 2020 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace Holdings, LLC, a System1 Company. Create an account to start this course today. City-states (cities surrounded by farmland, each headed by a king) warred with each other, and it's possible that there was civil unrest within each city-state. 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Sciences, Culinary Arts and Personal Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Theories about what caused the Classic Maya collapse have ranged from overpopulation to ongoing military conflict between competing city-states to Essay on theories about the Mayan Civilization No one can say for certain what happened to the great urban Mayan civilization but theories abound and include varied possible alternatives to explain the relatively abrupt and mysterious disappearance of the Mayan civilization. and Mayan historians and archaeologists take hold put forward divers(a) theories that could be the get rise to unlocking the mystery of the Mayan civilisation. So they didnt go anywhere. How was the history of the Mayan civilization lost? As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 83,000 An error occurred trying to load this video. Princeton Joins Open Education Movement, But How Many Students Will Benefit? There was however, a process of de-urbanization. One of the first people he 478 lessons Information about the device's operating system, Information about other identifiers assigned to the device, The IP address from which the device accesses a client's website or mobile application, Information about the user's activity on that device, including web pages and mobile apps visited or used, Information about the geographic location of the device when it accesses a website or mobile application. Other historians blame drought and famine. It is an easy explanation for rapid decreases in the region's population, and infectious diseases caused by parasites are common, according to 2 men named Dunn and Shimkin, in such rainforest regions. 5 Yet, these people did not know how to manage the economy and maintain an empire standing. The Maya deforested through the use of slash-and-burn agriculture a method still used in their old stomping grounds today, so the researchers understand how it works. There has been theories on the disappearance on the Mayans some of the theories are the environmental change,warfare and famine theory. Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. SO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO THE MAYA? There are many theories concerning the disappearance of which some include epidemic diseases, a mega-drought or a peasant revolt or revolution. 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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. Disease, a social revolution, drought, famine, foreign invasion, over-population, disruption in trade routes, earthquakes, and even hurricanes were held responsible. first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. Topics: Maya civilization, Mayan languages, Agriculture Pages: 7 (2592 words) Published: April 8, 2012 Many theories exist about their disappearance. The most notable theories are that they collapsed due to a deforestation, climate change and warfare. Starvation The Maya were farmers and fed their people through agriculture. Discuss What Different Theories Suggest About the Disappearance of the Mayans. The Disaster Theory Early Maya researchers believed that some catastrophic event may have doomed the Maya. Quiz & Worksheet - Theories on the Mayan Disappearance, Over 83,000 lessons in all major subjects, {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}}, Native American History: Origins of Early People in the Americas, Mesoamerican Civilizations: The Olmecs to Cortes, The Inca Civilization and Pizarro: Pre-Columbian South America, Pre-Columbian Civilization: North American Indians Before Europeans, Effects of European Colonization: Christopher Columbus and Native Americans, New Spain: Spanish Explorers and Spanish Colonies, Amerigo Vespucci: Biography, Facts & Voyages, Bartolome de Las Casas: Biography, Quotes & Timeline, Crow Native American Tribe: History, Facts & Culture, Biological and Biomedical Essentially, their artforms and creations were made from anything they could find, including wood, ceramics, stone, stucco, jade, and ending with full-blown painted murals. To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page. The Mayan civilization began during 2000 B.C. At their peak around 750 CE, the Mayan civilization was a major power among the natives living in North and Central America. Theories Behind the Disappearance of the Mayan Civilization Travis Epling Prof. Aprile Castagna Cappuzzo Introduction to Humanities 2 May 2014 Theories Behind the Disappearance of the Mayan Civilization There are many theories behind the decline of the Mayan Civilization. All rights reserved. Mid-Classic hiatus. Rainforest soil is not nutrient-rich, so this method would have only yielded 3 to 5 years worth of crops. Even with the Maya's effective water management, this would have made for water and food shortages, since without water the Maya couldn't grow food. But Mayan historians and archaeologists have put forward various theories that could be the key to unlocking the mystery of the Mayan civilisation. This was actually hundreds of years following the initial collapse of Mayan civilization, beginning at around 1521 and ending in 1697. flashcard set, {{courseNav.course.topics.length}} chapters | The stone carvings are weather-beaten. You can test out of the Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. A major drought occurred about the time the Maya began to disappear. The main reason for the disappearance of the Mayan civilization is a cultural clash -- probably one of the most significant in all of history. The Maya were good farmers but, as their population grew, it became harder to feed everyone. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. This meaning there was a shortage of food which is necessary for the society to survive. There are many theories about the mayan civilization that some think was due to lack of food, frequent warfare, and over population. MAYAN DISAPPEARANCE 2 Theories of the disappearance of the Mayan civilization The Mayans were a great and powerful civilization that dominated the area for over 500 years had appeared to vanish overnight around 850 CE. Did you know We have over 220 college Ancient Astronaut Theorists believe they have the answer the mysterious disappearance of the Mayan civilization in this clip from Season 9, "The Vanishings." Mayan is still being spoken all over the Yucatan. MAYAN DISAPPEARANCE 2 Theories of the disappearance of the Mayan civilization The Mayans were a great and powerful civilization that dominated the area for over 500 years had appeared to vanish overnight around 850 CE. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. "We know that for every 1 to 3 years you farm a piece of land, you need to let it lay fallow for 15 years to recover. 1769 Words | 8 Pages. Get access risk-free for 30 days, It is said that there could be numerous causes for the disappearance, or the turn down of the Ancient Mayan Civilization. Theories for this Mayan Collapse are wide-ranging and varied, and recent scholarship has postulated over seventy different theories including, but not limited to climate change, deforestation, drought, warfare and invasion, social upheaval or revolution. Ranging from their materialistic type of thinking to the viruses they had, Europeans introduced elements that decimated local populations. My theory about the mysterious end of the maya people is irrelevent to the mysteries of the extra-terrestrial visitations. Then, they planted their crops. Spanish explorers came to the Maya late in the civilization's existence, well after the first major collapses of their civilization. This northern resurgence flies against the drought theory of the Mayas demise . However, it's likely that it was a combination of all these factors that lead to the collapse and disappearance of this massive empire. Earn Transferable Credit & Get your Degree, Effect of Geography on the Maya, Aztec & Inca Civilizations, Holt United States History: Online Textbook Help, Glencoe The American Journey: Online Textbook Help, Important People in World History Study Guide, GED Social Studies: Civics & Government, US History, Economics, Geography & World, MTTC Social Studies (Secondary)(084): Practice & Study Guide, High School US History: Homeschool Curriculum, NY Regents Exam - US History and Government: Help and Review. Early in the study of the Maya collapse all manner of theories were presented as to what exactly had happened, some more plausible than others. This paper analyzes the disappearance of the Mayan civilization while focusing on the various theories surrounding its eventual collapse. Documentary Environmental Change Theory: Climate change could have caused crops to die, hence killing off the Maya. copyright 2003-2020 Study.com. The writer of this brief yet concise paper details the history of the Mayan culture which emerged in 2000 BC. Visit the AP US History: Help and Review page to learn more. The most notable theories are that they collapsed due to a deforestation, climate change and warfare. They created a writing system of hieroglyphics. There are numerous theories about the Mayan civilization that some believe was due to lack of food, repeated combat, and more population. credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level. Although the Mayan people never entirely disappearedtheir descendants still live across Central Americadozens of core urban areas in the lowlands of 1769 Words | 8 Pages. There's evidence that a number of Mayan cities eventually were besieged and fell to invaders [source: McKillop]. and by 200 A.D. they had reached their peak of development, with more people per square kilometer than modern day New York. Tropical rains were the most important source of water. He felt sure the Maya had faced a huge drought, but he had no evidence to back up his theory - so he set out to search for clues. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. According to this theory, the Mayan peoples life significantly depended on the water supply. As a civilization, Archaeologist J. Eric S. Thompson presented his theory on the collapse of the Maya in 1954. His main argument is that the city-states collapsed due to a revolt of the peasants, who may have removed the original authorities and taken the power themselves. Some of these theories encompass of the ecological hypotheses theory and foreign invasion theory. study and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you. Discuss What Different Theories Suggest About the Disappearance of the Mayans. To find the answer, then, we must rec They also cut trees for firewood and for making building materials. But by 950 CE, the Mayan civilization had collapsed. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Once these diseases, such as smallpox, spread, they killed the Maya in droves, along with Native Americans from other civilizations, such as the Aztecs. {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons