World Cultures - Analysis of Maya Civilization - Essay Example

The sculptures carved stelae statues that recorded their achievement. Today the ruins lie silent and abandoned in the jungle where mahogany and other trees grow where once roads were.

The Mayan civilization consisted of powerful city-states that spread from southern Mexico to northern Honduras. Scientists in Mayan civilization cite that drought theory plays a pivotal role where the people cut down the jungle canopy to accelerate the problem`. A climate model simulation depicts the aggregation of drought caused by deforestation. The pale climate records show that the collapse of the Mayan socio-political structure links to Terminal Classical Drought (TCD). The efforts to assess the effects of climate change on prehistoric societies lead to controversies on the future of climate change in modern societies. Lane et al (2014) present evidence of TCD along the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola, Laguna Castilla, and other areas of the Dominican Republic.

The flowering with the rain theory analyzes the cavern stalagmites on the cave floors to link the climate swings that lead to the fall of the empire. Belizean stalagmites in the early Classical Maya are unusually wet since the population proliferation aid the process. The sophistication of monumental architecture, political systems, and complex religion falls in the full-flower era.

Scientists provide a warfare theory that could have shattered the entire people. The stone carving depicts vicious images such as Tikal, Quirigua, and Dos Pilas. It is possible cities went to war with each other. As Dos Pilas invasion took place in 760 A.D (Lane et al. 2014). One cannot rule out the possibility of war that brought economic disaster and a domino effect in the Maya cities.

Environmental theory
At the apex of their power, things started to unravel just like the stock market zigzag into uncharted territory. Carroll (2013) explains that the ancients built an advanced society where they were undone by their success. The population of the people continued to escalate stretching the natural resources to a breaking point. The political leaders had difficulties in addressing the escalating economic issues and the system collapsed. Carroll (2013) continues to explain that at peak population wealth, resource consumption, and wasteful production lead to environmental degradation. The author finds a link between environmental, political, and economic stress that lead to the end of civilization. Desperate people that face malnutrition often blame the government since they perceive it as responsible for failing to solve their problems.

Lane et al.(2014) provide evidence that the mysterious collapse was precipitated by disease, drought, shifting trade routes, or invasion by an enemy. Many scholars cite that the ecosystem stretches to full capacity due to population growth which causes environmental pressure. One anthropologist cites that soil exhaustion occurs due to extensive tilling to satisfy the population. The political elite did not offer an appropriate solution other than offering sacrifices to the gods or plundering their neighbors. The kingdoms relied on each other and plundering each other cause a ripple effect. The environmental trouble was also due to short-term fluctuations in rainfall patterns that affected the harvest yield.
The disaster theory cites that a natural catastrophe doomed the Maya. A volcanic eruption, epidemic disease, or earthquake could have destroyed the people together with their buildings, crashing down the Maya civilization. The presence of dilapidating structures in the area is evidence that a widespread calamity or any other catastrophe snuffed out the Maya society. Read More