...The Mystery behind the End of Mayan Civilization Vanessa Espinoza Professor Perry World Cultures I Strayer University Mayan Mystery Civilizations all over, rose to become strong, powerful nations and descended due to many reasons. One civilization in particular, is the Mayans. The Mayan Empire began around 1800 B.C and lasted until around 900 A.D. Located in tropical environments, in what is now known as the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, Belize and parts of México. The Mayan people were known for their advance levels of mathematics, astronomy, and they develop a calendar system based on 365 days that we use in present day. The Mayan people also created many elaborate cities with stoned pyramids that partially remain intact today. How can a great nation, who developed a complex system, and flourish for many centuries, just disappear; leaving many questions unanswered? What happened to the Mayans? This is one mystery that has many people asking questions about what happened to a large number of people without wondering if this could ever happen again. Two theories that could explain what happened to the Mayan people are: drought and climate changes lead to the demised of the Mayan culture, and/or warfare from neighboring cities or foreign invaders caused the Mayans to become extinct. Scientist Martin Medina-Elizalde and Eelco Rohling believe that the climate changes affected the rainfall causing droughts. Many others believe that invaders from other countries...
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...The Mayan civilization The ancient group of people called, Mayans were located in Mesoamerica. They were also known as the Classic Maya. They were believed to exist in the 8th and 9th century. Scholars state a theory surrounding their cause of disappearance. The Ecological theory is the main cause of the abrupt disappearance of the Mayan civilization. The ecological collapse theory states the main reason for the abrupt disappearance of the Mayan people pertains to natural causes such as droughts, climate change, and environmental change. Some scientist states that climate change was the main cause of their disappearance. Unusual shifts in atmospheric patterns took place throughout this time. Volcano eruptions could have been caused by the pattern change which may have destroyed civilization. There were long dry seasons that caused severe droughts each year. This caused a great effect on the Mayan vegetation and fertility. The Mayans hydrological engineering depended on seasonal rains to replenish their water supplies. This epidemic affected many people in the Mayan civilization. In conclusion, I believe this is plausible, because this can be related to modern society. Natural disasters such as, volcano eruptions, earthquakes, and rain storms has been known to destroy cities and take the lives of innocent people in this current day. It is evident that because of the ecological collapse the Mayan civilization could not survive. References Joel, P. (2006). Mayan Culture...
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...No one can say for sure know what happened to the Mayan people and their civilization, but there are many theories that are out there that were researched by scientist and theologians. The first theory, which was researched by Jared Diamond an American evolutionary biologist, would be that the cities of the Mayans got over populated and the natural resources may have been stretched to the breaking point. The second theory was due to the climate, the drought and the rainfall. Penn State anthropologist Dr. Douglas Kennett stated that, researchers have concluded that the climate change overturned the long-term wet weather pattern in Yucatan Peninsula and Central America to severe famine (T, Internationl Busniess, 2012). Many researchers thought that the drought and the lack of rainfall were what wiped out the Mayan Civilization. David Hodell a geologist from the University of Florida feels that the impacting drought could have been due to the changing position of the sun, as finding from the lake the team selected for their study (T, Internationl Busniess, 2012). Between 660 and 100CE, the climate change shared dying trend with less rainfall and long droughts. Numerous studies have shown that there were many prolonged droughts around the time of the civilizations decline. Gerald Haug, of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, found it worse than that. He did a year by year reconstruction of the lake sediments and it showed that the rainfall was abundant from 550 to...
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...Climate Change and Trade Networks as Causes of the Classic Maya Collapse The civilization of the ancient Lowland Maya was a thriving and advanced society, capable of building great monuments able to survive to the present. It is therefore an archaeological mystery as to why, at the end of the Classic period, from the eighth to eleventh century, Maya sites show signs of massive decline and even desertion; this is referred to as the “collapse” of the Maya, though it was not an immediate nor evenly distributed phenomenon (Douglas, Demarest, Brenner, & Canuto, 2016, 614, 634). Several theories as to the cause, or causes, of the collapse have been suggested. One theory points to climate change causing severe droughts during this period as a major factor (Douglas et al., 2016), while another suggests the changes in trade networks played a role (Golitko, Meierhoff, Feinman, & Williams, 2012). While collapse was likely caused by multiple influences, this paper argues that the shift from inland trade routes to coastal trade routes and the resulting effects on Maya economies had a greater influence on the collapse of Classic period Lowland Maya societies than the severe droughts generated by climate change. Both theories are backed by compelling evidence, but shifting trade routes was arguably more influential for a few reasons, one of which is the timing of trade changes and droughts in relation to collapse. The study by Golitko et al. (2012) examined the distribution of obsidian—a...
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...Apocalyto Mel Gibson (Pre-Midterm Activity) Andre Kimberly Trish D. D’Silva BSCOMPE – SE 1 Brief Summary Set in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula (Central America), during the 16th century, Mel Gibson’s, Apocalypto follows the journey of a Mayan villager by the name of “Jaguar Paw”. This adaptation of the Mayan Empire illuminates a prophecy, surrounding Jaguar. Jaguar Paw is a peaceful hunter from a remote forest tribe whose life is about to be changed forever. When Jaguar Paw's village is raided and he is prepared as a sacrifice that the Mayan deities have demanded, the brave young hunter is forced to navigate a horrific new world of fear and oppression. Courageously determined to escape his captors and save his family from a distressing end, Jaguar Paw prepares to risk it all in one final, frantic attempt to preserve his dying way of life. However, few who have seen the sacrificial alter of the Mayans have managed to live to see another day. In order to rescue his pregnant wife and young son, Jaguar Paw will have to escape the most dominant warriors of the Mayan kingdom while using his immense knowledge of the forest to turn the tables on those who would rather see him dead than set free. Material Culture * Bamboo * stone-sling * Dagger * Spear * Rope * Accessories (necklace, nose ring, etc.) * Javelin * Piercings * Cloth-like clothing * Boomerang * Bow and arrow * ziggurat Non-Material Culture ...
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...This real life experience is about a priest who had the courage to stand up for the rights and privileges of the oppressed natives of Guatemala. When he was thirty-eight years old, Father Gregory Schaffer, whom I traveled with on a mission trip to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala— in July of 2011— who, had helped Father Gregory with the missions, made the self-sacrificing journey of walking from St. Paul, MN to Guatemala, which is approximately 3,000 miles. He made this difficult trip for the sole purpose of raising money to aid his project of helping the poor of Guatemala. The natives, or Mayans, lived in inhumane conditions such as dirt-floored huts made of tin with no electricity or clean water. Father Schaffer wanted to help these people so greatly, that he was willing to sacrifice the comforts of living in the United States to live with and like the people he was determined to help. The Mayans had been oppressed by a dictatorial government for years, which had badly harmed their environment and kept them in a constant state of fear. In the midst of these problems, Father Schaffer came to offer help to the poverty-afflicted peoples. Father Schaffer's true courage to stand up for the poor of Guatemala was put to the test, when, in the 1980's, there were armed campaigns pointed at the natives of Guatemala. Even though he knew that he could be killed at any time for helping the people of Guatemala, Father Schaffer remained with the people he had come to love. He was in an especially...
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...Maya civililization Sopo: maya`s history is mysterious, ts belived today that the mayan peoples began to. Settle in the YACATAN adrea of what is now MEXCO between 2600BC and 1800BC. Geographically, tha mayan civilization covered what is now BELIZE, GUETEMALA,HONDURAS, EL Salvador a part of mexico. Mayans lived in low-lying wainforests. Tha land was mostly marshy and swampy with trees growing very high ro reack the sunlignt. The climate was hot and humid and is was hard to travel fast or far because of the thick jungle. the mayas occupied over 201168 squareKM, that had, both hiughlands and cowlands. clothing Sali: the clothing worn by the maya depended on the region they lived in and their social status. The wealthy wore colorful clothing made from animal skins. Thay also wore feather headdresses and fancy jewelry. commoners wore simpler clothing. Tha man often wore loincloths while the womenwore long skirts. Both man and women usd a blanket called a manta to wrap around their shoulders when it was cold. life as a noble (mdidari) man the mayan king and his nobles lived an easy life. They had their every need provided for by the commoners. They were ever carried from place to place in litters by slaves. life as a maya commoners (garibi) life as a maya commoner was hard work. The typical peasant worked as a farmer. The wife would stay ad home. While the husband went to...
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...Green ANT 450 Professor Legg Malnutrition in Guatemala Guatemala is a Country in Central America right underneath Mexico. Its true name is the Republic of Guatemala. Guatemala consists of many indigenous Mayan people. It has a very heavy Spanish influence. Mayans are called the indigenous people as opposed to the westernized Ladino’s that have European blood in them and usually live in a more urbanized areas. More than half the Guatemalan nation is composed of indigenous Mayan Indians. The national language is Spanish. The five main Mayan languages are Quichí, Mam, Qanjobal, Chol, and Yucateca (Nacie L., 2011). In addition to these five main languages there are 21 dialects that branch off of these There are many factors that contribute to the extremely high rates of malnutrition in the country of Guatemala. Poverty, socioeconomic status, and education level all play a part. The disadvantaged Guatemalan is considered indigenous. Much racism goes on between indigenous and non-indigenous “Ladino’s.” Ladinos mainly rule the country (BBC, 2012). The amount of education is directly correlated with the amount of money made. The per capita GDP of Guatemala is $3,177 ranked 16 out of 19 in all of the Latin American Countries (Edwards, 2002). Guatemala has an approximate population of 14,027, 000. The life expectancy for men is 66 years old and for women 77 years old. Guatemala has the largest economy in Central America but it also has the lowest growth rates of human development...
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...What Happened To the Mayans? Michelle Boseman Professor Sisson Humanities 111 Many historians have questioned “how” or “why” the Mayan civilization disappeared after the 10th century; however there is no definitive answer to this question. One possible theory is the Mayan’s population and heavy environmental consumption may have lead to deforestation and soil exhaustion grew to such an extent that they deforested so much of the region thereby forcing the Mayan people to immigrate to other regions, this theory has some scientific background, and scientists have used satellites to study the topsoil of Central America. Scientist have found that right before the civilization collapse, the sediment had changed from tree pollen to weed pollen, suggesting there were no more trees in the area. The result of a treeless environment is the erosion of fertile topsoil, warmer climate, and a possible reduction of precipitation. Since the Mayans depended on water reservoirs from precipitation, this would have had a detrimental effect. Initially the Mayan civilization prospered throughout the lowlands. From 300 B.C. to 900 A.D. the Mayans developed a relatively productive agriculture-based economy based on the surrounding terrains, which lead to expansions in population. Mayan agriculture suffered from various limitations, which made their level of stability somewhat fragile. The Mayans relied heavily upon a narrow range of crops including corn, which made up 70% of their diet,...
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...Hispanic-American thought intellectuals rarely produce original profiles because there elements originate from the elements and motifs originally designed for the European thought. Meanwhile, philosophy and religion plays a critical role in ancient civilization, culture creation, and preservation in the sense that they not only bind, but also influence the societal structure, statutes, and personal lives. This paper documents the Mayan culture taking into consideration their civilization, ideologies, as well as their rituals. Civilization Factors contributing to culture creation and preservation extend from geographical to a number of patterns. The origin of the Mayan culture from the central part of America gives the perfect example of socio-cultural effects, which even after several years, continue to exist. The review of Mayan gods, as well as their conquest by the Spanish holds confirms that religious factors ensure that the culture of the Mayan continues to thrive despite the influence by foreigners and the oppositions the Mayans faced. Meanwhile, the Mayans’ mathematical and astronomical advances were far much ahead of the Ancient Romans. They had their own developed numeric system, boasting to be one of the first to formulate the zero concept way before the Greeks....
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...the Great Barrier Reef to be easily observed. Coral islands called cays, covered with stands of mangrove trees, dot the coast. Lying in aquamarine and jade-colored bays, these cays protect the jungled coastline from the ravages of the sea. History The first inhabitants of Central America, of which we have any record, were the Mayas. These people had built an impressive civilization which reached its peak before the Europeans began their voyages of exploration to the New World. Little is known of the origins of the Mayan people, whose achievements are said to have rivaled those of the Egyptians. Many facets of their culture were unsurpassed until A.D. 1000 when the whole civilization collapsed. Temples and buildings were abandoned with the departure of the priests, probably due to a revolt among the peasantry. Many of the farmers remained until well into the fourteenth century, but then they too left, following the priestly classes to the Yucatan. The way of the Mayan people are, however, still evidential throughout Central America and can be seen in many areas of Belize. Like most Caribbean countries because of their location, Belize does experience sporadic hurricanes, and some of them have been quite spectacular. One of the first recorded cyclones devastated the newly founded Bay Settlement in September 1787. In September 1931, at a crowded celebration of St. George's Caye Day, a storm hit Belize...
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...Mayan Math The Mayan people developed a very sophisticated math system quite early. They had a base twenty or vigesimal system. They only needed three symbols to express quantity. We need ten symbols. The three symbols that they used are a dot which represents one, a bar which represents five, and a shell that stands for zero. Rather than writing their numbers from left to right like we do, the Maya wrote their numbers in columns, from top to bottom. The zero is the most important part of their mathematical system because without the zero, place value could not exist. Scholars believe the Maya chose a base twenty system from counting their fingers and toes. They were able to work with sums up to hundreds of millions using nothing but sticks,...
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...| Disappearance of the Mayan Civilization | | | Jerome A Brown Jr. | 2/4/2013 | | No one can say for certain what happened to the Mayan people, but theories abound and include varied possible alternatives to explain the abrupt and mysterious disappearance of the Mayan civilization. Many historians have questioned “how” or “why” the Mayan civilization disappeared after the 10th century; however there is no definitive answer to this question. One possible theory is the Mayan’s civilization grew to such an extent that they deforested so much of the region that it had significant climate changes, thereby forcing the Mayan people to immigrate to other regions (Server, 2004), this theory has some scientific background, and scientists have used satellites to study the topsoil of Central America. They found that right before the civilization collapse, the sediment had changed from tree pollen to weed pollen, suggesting there were no more trees in the area. The result of a treeless environment is the erosion of fertile topsoil, warmer climate, and a possible reduction of precipitation. Since the Mayans depended on water reservoirs from precipitation, this would have had a detrimental effect. Another theory surrounding the disappearance of the Mayan people is consistent droughts that took place preceding the tenth century and the reduction of civilization through various wars caused the Mayan civilization to dwindle down to virtual extinction...
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...exhaustion of their environment no longer able to sustain a large population and it’s constant growth. The latter of these theories was proposed by Atmospheric scientist Bob Oglesby. According to Oglesby the collapse of the Mayan settlements was in large due to forestation. The evidence he found was based on the thickness of the floor stones in the Mayan ruins. His study revealed that they would have needed about 20 trees to build a fire large enough to make the plaster floor stone that is about one square meter. In the earliest ruins, these stones were as thick as a foot or even more, but these stones progressively got thinner in the more recent built ruins; those were only a few inches thick. Oglesby calls the Mayan deforestation the granddaddy of all deforestation events. Further studies reveal that the Mayan population reached its peak population at 1,800 to 2,600 people per square mile. In comparison, Los Angeles County averaged 2,300 people per square mile in 2000. Due to this constant growth of the Mayan Empire, its environment was exhausted of its natural resources for it to further thrive and survive; thus by 950 CE the population crashed and he estimated about 90% of the Maya people died. In my brief research of the Mayan people, this theory is the one that makes the most sense to me, but the...
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...In the Mayan Civilization there were many rulers that made significant contributions. However, there is one ruler that stands out: K'inich Janaab' Pakal. K'inich Janaab' Pakal is also known Pacal the Great or just Pacal (Schele 23). He was born in March of 603 CE under his father, K'an Mo' Hix, and his mother, Sak K'uk'. The three lived in Palenque, a small Mayan city that was rather weak during the time before K'inich Janaab' Pakal’s rule. The city is located in current day Chiapas, Mexico. (Aloysius 20). During 611 CE, the current king died, and K'inich Janaab' Pakal was supposed to be the next heir of the throne. However, it was decided that he was too young to rule. During the year following his death, other people took the throne, albeit...
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