The Decline Of The Mayan Civilization - 1143 Words

The early Mayan civilization had lowly beginnings. They rose to remarkable heights in a seemingly inhospitable land. As Maya scholar Arthur Demarest said â€Å"Such a civilization, had no business there.† The Mayans had to battle with torrential rain in the rainy season, and when the weather turned hot, it scorched the land and their water supplies would plummet. They were always faced with floods or drought. They were probably forced here due to overcrowding from other tribes. But nonetheless they began to conquer these threats as they learned advanced farming techniques to make the shallow earth fertile. They burned and cleared jungle to make room for their agriculture, particularly maize. They then began the process of crop rotation, long before anyone else. As the Mayan civilization began its steady uprising they began to redouble their efforts, they started composting, cultivating, they built irrigation systems and began to terrace the landscape to make farming more effi cient and prevent erosion. They dammed rivers and flooded swamplands and marshes to create rich farmland. They instituted transport systems to move fertile silt and mud from lowlands to higher enclosed gardens and farms and created man made lakes and ponds that they used to fish and systems of corrals held wild game. They maximized their talents and squeezed out enough nourishment to support their population which had risen to several million people. It took time but the Mayans began to thrive in theShow MoreRelatedThe Decline Of The Mayan Civilization1196 Words   |  5 PagesThe rise of civilizations significantly increased as the world made its shift from the Paleolithic Era to the Neolithic Era and onward. The Mayan civilization arose as a part of Mesoamerica during the sixteenth century. Occupying the regions of Central America and Mexico, the Mayans had a strong impact on the world with militaristic and influence from the invention of advancements. The earliest record of the Mayan existence dates back to circa 400 B.C. The Mayan Civilization extended over a timeRead MoreThe 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. Its achievements were monumental for the era, being the first empire communicating with the useRead MoreCollapse of Civilizations1323 Words   |  6 Pagesfactors that lead to the 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 Empire, the Mesoamerican Mayan, and the Egyptian cultures will beRead MoreIs The Classic Mayan Civilization?1558 Words   |  7 Pageson 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 Mexico around the region of the Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala. The Growth and collapse of the Classic Mayan started at approximately 250 AD and ended around 830 AD. In 1931, a theory was proposed that the collapse of the Southern Mayan Lowlands was dueRead 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 Empire, the Mesoamerican Mayan, and the Egyptian cultures will beRead MoreCharacteristics Of The Mayan Civilization814 Words   |  4 PagesMayan Civilization There were many incredible civilizations in mesoamerica including the Incas, Aztecs, and the Mayas. They all had many strengths and weaknesses but the strongest among them were the Mayans. The Mayans were a very advanced civilization who survived for many, many years. The Mayans were very advanced in astronomy. They could map out the stars, the planets, the sun, and the moon. They knew so much about astronomy that they built all of their buildings in perfect alignment with compassRead MoreThe Origins Of The Ancient Civilization1308 Words   |  6 PagesThat is what happened to the Mayans. In a time span of only one hundred years, the whole Maya population was wiped out. There are several theories about the cause of their decline. Due to their disappearance the great Mayan inventions were lost in time until modern day anthropologists discovered that they made their own calendar and language along with many other things. What anthropologists do know for sure is that the Mayans were an ancient Mesoamerican civilization dating back to 250 B.C â€Å"madeRead MoreThe Ancient Civilization1622 Words   |  7 PagesThe intrigue of The Mayans has always existed through the telling of their ritualistic practices or their calendar, but the fall of such an advanced civilization is perhaps the most intriguing story of all.To understand what causes great civilizations, it is vital to note the process of collapse in other civilizations, such as the great Roman Empire. Differences in time period, geographical landscapes, and other circumstances mean no direct correlations are possible, but the outstanding point ofRead MoreMayan Civilization and Culture1077 Words   |  5 Pages The Ancient Mayan civilization contained nearly two-thirds of Mesoamerica. The area included mostly volcanic mountains to porous limestone, also referred to as the lowlands in the more central regions. Mayan civilization extended from Bel ize and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula in the north, to Honduras in the south. What made the Mayans stand out to me the most, were their complex societies, which were built and modernized far ahead of its time in a tropical rainforest climate (Aissen, 1992). NormallyRead MoreThe Decline Of The Mayan, Aztec, And Inca Empires837 Words   |  4 PagesThe Decline of the Mayan, Aztec, and Inca Empires From 250 A.D. to the late 1500’s A.D., three civilizations, the Mayans, the Aztecs, and the Incas controlled Central and South America. Their decline happened for many different reasons. The Spanish conquistadors was one of the most common and deadliest, due to their advanced weapons and diseases they brought. It seems that wherever the Spanish went, bad things always happened. Innocent people were killed for no reason, cities were massacred and