Maya collapse cycles

Abstract

Classic Period Maya society (A.D. ∼250–850) is almost as well known for its collapse as for its tremendous accomplishments in hieroglyphic writing, monumental art, and architecture and an extensive, populous network of cities and towns that crossed the terrain of parts of four modern nations (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras). Indeed, interest in the political and demographic collapse of this civilization around the 9th century A.D. is inextricably linked to its earlier majesty, and ancient Maya culture has evoked romantic interest about lost cities in the jungle since the early 19th century explorations of Stephens and Catherwood (1). Even today, avid public and academic interest remains trained on this quintessential case study and the degree to which the lessons of the Maya apply to apocalyptic currents in our own world as we abut against the struggle of political will and environmental impacts and constraints. Recent popular books written by David Webster (2), Jared Diamond (3), Patricia McAnany and Norman Yoffee (4), and Charles Mann (5) respond to the quest for analogs in Maya history. Scientific research has pushed forward our understanding of the complex processes underlying the Classic era Maya collapse, which is now known to have been the culmination of a range of different factors across a diverse political and biotic landscape. It is no longer possible to evoke a single, simple causal factor, although clearly, anthropogenic environmental impacts and untimely climatological events rank highly among the contingencies that triggered the downfall of the most fragile, populous areas of the Maya area interior.