The Disappearance of the Mayan Civilization Essay Example

The Maya were a population of people residing in Mesoamerica centered near the Yucatan Peninsula. They entered their Classic period sometime around 300 CE and are noted for having achieved a high level of sophistication. The Mayans were master mathematicians and understood the concept of zero. On top of that, they also had an exact understanding of the heavens and impressively predicted quite accurately both solar and lunar eclipses. They used their math and astronomical knowledge to create many calendars including a typical solar year, a farming calendar, a religious calendar, and other schedules of time. Plus, they are responsible for creating a unique writing system and building impressive stone government buildings, temples, and palaces. Unfortunately, the Maya began to abandon their large cities and move away from these areas without an explanation in the 800s. The disappearance of the Maya is a mystery historians have not yet solved. However, scholars have identified contributing factors to the Maya disappearing.  

Scholars believe that four theories could have contributed to the disappearance of the Maya. The first theory is warfare. Archaeologists used to believe for a long time that the Mayans were incredibly peaceful. However, recent excavations showed enormous fortifications. Lots of their art depicts warfare and enslavement, and records from Mayan leaders tell people were obsessed with war. Archaeologists later found a giant grave of dead humans that were stabbed to death. Adding to that, warfare could have been popular because Mayan rulers forced their people to fight for valuables, goods, and materials. The second theory is about disease. The two theories that disease might have caused the Mayan’s downfall are the Peregrinus maidis, and the Yellow Fever from monkeys. The Peregrinus maidis could have infected the maize which was an important crop for the Mayans. In return, the Mayans had to leave the place and fend off for themselves. The other idea is Yellow Fever from monkeys. Howler monkeys catch the Yellow Fever quickly, and they are native to the Mayan civilization. Then, from the Howler monkeys, the Mayans got infected. However, a good thing to note is the Yellow Fever originated from Africa. The third theory is famine. The Mayans used the slash and burn technique to grow crops. It is where all the vegetation on the land is cut down and everything remaining gets burned. The effect of it is the land will only grow crops for about three to five years and does not stay fertile for long. Importantly, slash and burn is not sustainable. Burning and cutting down forestation and vegetation lowers the amount of oxygen and spreads harmful chemicals in the air too. The fourth theory is disaster or environmental change. Researchers have determined that the Maya were affected by drought because of the stalagmites they found in the area. They were able to find the climate change way back to when the Mayans ruled the land. When the population was growing, they had fertile land and a wet environment. Unfortunately, the climate suddenly changed for the growing population which initiated droughts. 

The most reasonable explanation for the disappearance of the Maya is disaster and environmental change. Adding to that, famine and warfare were majorly introduced because of the environmental change they faced. That is because there is real proof of climate change because of the stalagmites archeologists discovered. Plus, the “Disaster or Environmental Change” section states that the stalagmites give “scientists a reliable record of historical precipitation trends.” The scientists found that they were unable to fulfill the needs of everyone when the patterns of weather changed from an extremely wet climate to a sudden drought. This is where famine and warfare come into play. Water is an important part to make crops grow, but if there is a drought, the Maya’s crops would be unable to grow. So, people would starve or flee and find other alternatives for food. Furthermore, the drought initiated internal conflict and unhappiness with the Mayans. People believed that the rulers could communicate with the gods to give rain; alas, they did not get any. So, Mayan rivalry started and warfare between the Mayans, rulers, and faithful helpers to the rulers came. In effect, many people were killed, which can explain in the “Warfare” section why “A 1,200 year old mass grave was uncovered in Guatemala that turned up some 45 skeletons, including the Maya king Kan Maax and his wife. Many appear to have been killed as . . . a result of sharp spear jabs to the throat.” Meaning, the internal conflict between everyone indicates that many people either fled or died.

For other civilizations to avoid the same fate the Maya faced there are many things humans can do about it. One thing humans can do to stop environmental change or climate change is to cut down on the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are used to create energy for items like cars, heating, and more. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “Over the past 20 years, nearly three-fourths of human-caused emissions came from the burning of fossil fuels.” So, how can we reduce that fraction? There are other alternatives to fossil fuels like wind energy, tidal energy, geothermal power, and a lot more that we can increase the use of. There are also options people can do in their own lives to help with climate change. These are some ideas from UN ActNow. Humans can use less energy by using less heating and cooling, using LED light bulbs instead, and washing laundry with cold water. Most people's cars and motorcycles are burning diesel or gasoline whenever anyone takes a trip in them. With shorter distances, consider biking or walking. The disappearance of the Maya was an unfortunate and confusing event. However, individuals can learn from the Maya to not make the same mistake and to take precautions to prevent the end of the Mayans from happening again to current civilizations.