1. Archaeologist Robert J. Sharer interprets the study of daily life on the ancient Maya civilization in his book “Daily Life In Maya Civilization”. According to Sharer, he describes how geography can be destructive:
“People living in the southern highlands have always been plagued by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Although the Maya did not record these events, they are detectable from archaeological evidence. A massive volcanic eruption around A.D. 200 created a caldera (collapse basin) and Lake Ilopango, near San Salvador. This catastrophic eruption destroyed all life within 20-30 km of the eruption. The huge cloud of volcanic ash fell over a widespread area, rendering everything within about 100 km of the volcano uninhabitable for one or two centuries.” (PG. 16).
In addition, Feudal Japan also faces this major physical feature as it is at risk for not only volcanoes, but also earthquakes and tsunamis. Hence, these appalling earthly features certainly brought disturbance to civilizations.

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However, Sharer states that despite the danger of volcanic eruptions, “large numbers of people have inhabited the highlands for thousands of years, cultivating the fertile volcanic soils. Most highland basins and valleys contain many remains of pre-Columbian Maya settlements. The largest and most important is the ancient city of Kaminaljuyu in the Valley of Guatemala, also the location of modern Guatemala City.” (PG.16). This proves that the Mayas were able to gain from volcanic eruptions through volcanic deposits. Also due to the frequent natural disasters on Japan, this “taught” the Japanese a deep respect for the forces of natural which developed Shintoism that became part of their culture. Therefore, civilizations can continue to prosper despite of natural