Collapse Of The Mayan Civilization - 1024 Words

Patricia Licea-Chavez 10/27/14 History 2 Collapse of the Mayan Civilization There were multiple reasons for the collapse of the Mayan civilization. Some of these reasons are environmental damages/overpopulation, natural disasters, and warfare.(The) Out of these the most likely reason for their collapse was war. (Cartwright) Within this war there were also the battles that were going on within its civilization, the offerings that they made to their gods, and the campaigns to resist the Spanish conquest. In the beginning the Mayans were thought to be a very peaceful civilization. It was also a rare occasion when they got into an altercation with another tribe. But recently historical anthropologists have discovered new meanings to the inscriptions on the stonework on the Mayan site of Dos Pilas. These new finds have told us that the Mayans were very violent people. The Mayans thought that war was very important because it gave them prestige when they took over neighboring city-states and captured prisoners to either enslave or make them sacrifices. One of the rituals the Mayas had was to give offerings to their gods. They would fight amongst themselves, while Venus was in sight. Venus was supposed to bring signs of destruction and mess up the government. The Mayans would also sacrifice themselves by playing a game, the ball game. This spiritual game was played with decapitated heads used as the ball. The game was also a â€Å"sequel† to triumphant battle. The enslaved soldiersShow MoreRelatedWhy Did the Mayan Civilization Collapse?2267 Words   |  10 PagesTo gaze upon the majestic ruins of the Mayan civilisation which collapsed over a thousand years ago, one is often stirred with wonder and a deep sense of curiosity (Diamond, 2005, p157-8). What happened to this great empire and what brought about its demise? The tremendous task of erecting such elaborate and colossal structures was clearly performed by the hands of a well-organized and adept group of humans (Crist and Paganini, 1980, pg24). Their empire occupied a vast area of roughly 325000 squareRead MoreEssay on Did the Mayan Civilization Collapse as a Result of Drought?1016 Words   |  5 PagesEver since the collapse of the once powerful Maya civilization, people have been trying to find out what caused it. Authors of the article, “Climate and the Collapse of Maya Civilization”, which include Gerald Haug, Detlef Gà ¼nther, Larry Peterson, Daniel Sigman, Konrad Hughen, and Beat Aeschlimann propose a theory that the Mayans collapsed because of an extended dry period between 760 and 910 A.D. These scientists set out find the answer as to why the Maya civilization collapsed. ThisRead MoreIs The Classic Mayan Civilization?1558 Words   |  7 Pagesof Anthropology, a collapse is defined as â€Å"†¦a drastic decrease in human population size and/or political/economical/social complexity, over a considerable area, for an extended time.†(AOC) With Mr. Tainter’s definition of collapse, I will be focusing on one specific civilization, what led to their falling as a society and elaborate on some theories as to why collapses may occur. The development that I am going to be discussing is the Classic Mayan civilization. The civilization was located in MexicoRead MoreEnd of Mayan Civilization1143 Words   |  5 PagesEnd of Mayan Civilization Samuel Nathaniel H. Stansbury HUM 111 11/3/2012 The mystery concerning the fundamental explanation for the collapse of the Mayan Civilization has been a major focus for researchers in the fields of anthropology and archeology for a considerable period of time. 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From the third to the ninth century, Maya civilization produced awe-inspiring temples and pyramids, highly accurate calendars, mathematics and hieroglyphics, and a complex social and political order (Collapse...Read More Collapse of Civilizations Essay1292 Words   |  6 Pagesfactors that lead to the â€Å"collapse† of civilizations are almost directly related to those that created it. Archaeologists characterize collapse by a number of elements, some of which we have evidence for, others we do not. Most archaeologists are unsure of exactly what caused the decline of most civilizations in the ancient world, yet there are many clues to some of the events that could have contributed. The collapse of the ancient Roman Em pire, the Mesoamerican Mayan, and the Egyptian cultures