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The Mayan Civilization: The Collapse
The Maya civilization was one of the greatest Mesoamerican civilizations, but at some point in time, they simply disappeared. What happened to them?
Theories of the Classic Maya Collapse
The Classic Maya Collapse, as the collapse of the Maya civilization is dubbed among experts, has not been fully explained; and so several theories are being put forth by experts to try and explain the reason why the great Maya civilization shattered from prominence.
Social Theories
Social theories being put forth by experts include foreign invasion, but this is widely disputed as the process was so complex that it is impossible for a single military defeat to cause the collapse of a civilization. This theory is fueled by the amount of Teotihuacan influences in the Maya region, but opponents of this theory argue that the two civilizations had been in contact since at the Early Classic Period.
Another social theory being put forth is a revolution among the lower classes. Proponents of this theory hypothesized that, at the peak of the civilization, the lower class may have been overloaded with work and revolted. Evidences of temple burning and throne destruction are used as support for this theory. However, people not subscribing to this line of thought point to several flaws, like no revolts were ever documented by the Maya. They also argue that throughout its existence, the Mayas had a stable government, and so, one political problem could not have brought the downfall of the civilization.
Environmental Theories
There are several environmental theories that relate to the collapse of the Maya civilization. These include catastrophic events such as natural disasters. Mayanists dispute this theory, as there have been no evidence of a past volcanic eruption being discovered in the archaeological records left behind by the Mayas. According to Dr. Richardson Gill, volcanic eruptions may have been a way of cooling the climate in the Mayan region after a drought since droughts have been accurately documented by the Spanish in the Mayan region. However, no archaeological evidence existed to support the volcanic eruption theory.
Some experts also point to epidemic diseases as a possible cause of the decline in the Maya civilization. According to proponents of this theory, the Maya civilization may have decreased during the collapse because of some epidemic that spread across the land. Although this theory is not well accepted, it is also plausible because disease may have arisen from drought and famine. It is generally thought that disease merely contributed to the decline, but it is not a major factor in the collapse.
The Remnants of the Maya Civilization
The Maya people never truly disappeared. Most of them have survived until today, and are designated post-colonial Mayas to differentiate them from the pre-Hispanic Maya civilization.
Maya influence remains to this day. Mayan cuisine is still available in an island called Isla Mujeres in Mexico. Some companies have even taken to naming themselves after the Mayas, most notably the Grupo Mayan firm.
