From the evidence that the Mayans left behind it is apparent that they were once a great and powerful civilization. They left behind great monuments and buildings amidst complex cities. The archeological evidence suggests that they had a complex society that included trade with other cultures and the development of an advanced mathematical and calendar system. They had knowledge of astronomy and many other advances. They were once a thriving civilization, but for some unknown reason, this great empire simply ceased to exist. This research will explore two popular theories as to what led to the demise of the once great Mayan civilization.
The first theory on why the Mayan civilization ceased to exist is that they did it themselves through misuse of their natural resources. At its peak around 900 A.D. the Mayan civilization had around 2,000 people per square mile. Even in rural areas, there were between 200-400 people per square mile (Coulter, 2009). This is comparable to densely packed areas of modern civilization. According to archeologist, Tom Sever, this places an incredible strain on the environment around them. By the time the Mayan civilization disappeared, they had cut most of the trees down for fields. Building the massive structures from limestone took tremendous timber resources for fires (Coulter, 2009). This set them up to be vulnerable when a drought hit.
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"The Mystery of the Mayans".
The second theory for the fall of the Mayan civilization is that they were the victims of a natural disaster. This study still recognizes that deforestation played a role in the collapse, but considers them to be the victim than the cause. Land that has been cleared of its forest cover absorbs less solar radiation than forested land. Less water evaporates from the surface to form clouds and rain (Stromberg, 2012). It is estimated as the population grew, leading to more deforestation, less rain fell on the land. This drought eventually caused the Maya to abandon their cities for a lack of food and water. What makes this theory different from the first theory is that it claims that the Maya would have survived had a natural warming cycle not occurred at the same time (Stromberg, 2012). New evidence from the Blue Hole in Belize. This evidence suggests that a shift in the intertropical convergence zone prevented the normal seasonal rains in the Yucatan peninsula (Ghose, 2012). The monsoon system upon which the Maya relied to fill their reservoirs with enough water to carry them through the season failed to materialize. There is also evidence that during an earlier drought period the Maya abandoned their cities and then returned when the rains returned (Ghose, 2012). This theory suggests that the civilization was doomed due to changes in local weather systems.
Many theorists now agree that deforestation and overpopulation contributed to the fall of the Mayan empire, but they do not agree to the extent that this affected the eventual fall of the civilization. The question is whether the Mayan civilization could have survived the natural disaster caused by climate change if they had stewarded their resources more carefully. Some theorist claim that conflict within the society factors into the fall (Mott, 2012). It is apparent that all of these factors were present in Mayan society at the time. As resources became scarce, whether it was from climate change, deforestation, or a combination of both, one would expect conflict within the society and political leaders tried to save the people. The stalagmite record suggests that the dry spell that the Maya encountered was not just a normal drought period for the area, but an unusual one that lasted from 1020 to 1100 (Mott, 2012). This means that the drought lasted for many generations, not just a few years in one generation.
In conclusion, although all of these theories have their merit, the geologic record indicates that the demise of the Mayans was a matter of the changing climate. Deforestation and overpopulation did not help, nor did conflict within the civilization, but the long-term effects of climate change and drought that lasted almost a century were what finally brought the great civilization to its end. It is entirely possible that deforestation picked up the pace as the earth brought havoc on the society. As their crops failed, their water supplies continued to diminish year after year; they may have tried desperately to appease the Gods. This meant cutting down more trees to build more temples. This served to decrease what little rain might have fallen on the land, but the damage was bigger than deforestation could account for. The change in the intertropical weather patterns continued for many generations. The little rain that would have been generated by evaporation from the forest would have made little impact. It would have been too little too late.
There is a greater body of evidence and sources to corroborate the theory that climate change beyond the control of the Mayans was the reason for the eventual abandonment of the civilization. The Mayan society was a war-like society that tried to solve many of its conflicts through brute force. This time, their efforts were no match for what the earth had to dish out. If deforestation played a bigger role in the demise of the Mayan empire than is suspected, it is grim reminder and warning for modern society. At the least, it is a message that man is no match for the forces of nature and even the great societies are at its mercy.
