Collapse Of The Mayan Society

What is Collapse?
Throughout world history, humans have developed into complex societies; these complex societies include bands, tribes, chiefdoms, states, and empires. Although archaeologists have attempted to define each of these complex societies, occasionally a civilization will fit more than one category. Regardless, the majority of civilizations that have prevailed for a definitive amount of time eventually, through a series of events or environmental factors, cease to exist. Anthropologists and archaeologists define this culmination of a society as collapse. Collapse, according to the well-known archaeologist Joseph A. Tainter, “collapse is the rapid loss of an established level of complexity” (Tainter 2014). In other words, collapse

occurs when, for some reason, a civilization experiences a dramatic change that prohibits them from thriving as they previously did.
Collapse is also defined as a lack of sustainability. Sustainability involves how a society’s leaders deal with problems that arise (Tainter 2014). Typically, when confronted issues, humans inherently solve complications by creating more complexity. For instance, designated problem-solvers will develop more complex technologies, establish new institutions, add more specialists, increase organization, or gather more information (Tainter 2014). But, one of the reasons collapse occurs stems from the ways in which dilemmas are solved. In some cases, a problem has to be solved quickly to avoid immediate and impending demise; these hasty patches can cause the future (sometimes current) generation to fall prey to collapse of their civilization.

Identifying Collapse
Archaeologists identify collapse by examining evidence from their excavations at specific sites. This evidence consists of physical artifacts as well as any results found from scientifically analyzing and examining biological remains and other artifacts. For example, a broken piece of pottery could be tested for traces of specific pollen; the results could point to what type of environment the people lived in, how they practiced agriculture, or if there was deforestation and soil erosion. In addition, by inspecting human remains found at ancient sites, archaeologists can determine if there was human sacrifice, a drastic change in diet, malnutrition, or epidemic or nutritional diseases (Wright & White, 1996). Such is the case for how archaeologists identify collapse within the Classic Mayan civilization.
Previous Explanations for Classic Maya Collapse
The Classic Maya persisted from 900 B.

C. E. to 900 A.D.; their sustainability was not constant, for they experienced fluctuations of unsustainability, with the most dramatic being in the disintegration of the Classic period (Chase et al., 2014). Regardless of this, the Mayan people rebounded from the collapse, and continued thriving until the early twentieth century, at which point the “Maya integrated their societies into modern nation states” (Chase et al., 2014). After the initial collapse of the Classic Mayan society, the Maya transitioned into the postclassic eras, which eventually led to the historic

period.
The Classic Maya experienced some series of tumultuous events that caused them to become unable to maintain sustainability. Initially, when speculating exactly what the cause of collapse was, archaeologists from the 1930’s to the 1960’s believed that the Classic Mayan people were invaded or conquered as a result of war; this belief was supported for some time because this period saw an abundance of warfare and conquest, as evident in their human sacrifices of war captives (Sabloff & Willey, 1967). Although there is sufficient clues that could indicate warfare as the downfall of the Classic Maya civilization, more recent excavations and analyzations illustrate multiple potential reasons as to why this period in Mayan history expired.
Current Explanations for Classic Maya Collapse
To this day, archaeologists still debate and speculate exactly how the Classic Maya society collapsed. It is difficult to truly state one exact reason because the Classic Maya covered multiple regional areas that had varying climates and environments. Furthermore, additional aspects like language, governmental structure, and cultural and kinship principles were particular to individual societies across the Maya region (Chase et al., 2014). Different complex societies, ranging from regional states to small city-states, also affected the hypothesized collapse in their distinct locations. Based on what a myriad archaeologists have found at every excavated Classic Mayan site, the collapse of this society was possibly influenced by the following, according to a 2002 article by Lisa J. Lucero:
Numerous explanations have been proffered: factors suggested to have affected Maya
rulership include climate changes (Curtis 1996; Dahlin 1983; Folan 1983; Gill 2000;
Gunn 1995; Hodell 1995; Hodell 2001; Lowe 1985); increased monocropping (Atran 1993); environmental and ecological degradation in the face of increasing population (Abrams and Rue 1988; Culbert 1977; Hosier 1977; Sabloff and Willey 1967; Santley 1986); foreign intrusion (Cowgill 1964); internal warfare (Demarest 1997); increasing competition (Bove 1981; Cowgill 1979); peasant revolt (Hamblin and Pitcher 1980; Thompson 1966); failures in management (Willey and Shimkin 1973), trade (Rathje 1973; Webb 1973), and subsistence (Culbert 1988; Turner 1974); yellow fever (Wilkinson 1995); and diminishing subsistence returns (Tainter 1988). (p. 820).
In addition to these reasons, it is also speculated that a higher disease burden and consistent changes in diet may have contributed to Classic Maya collapse (Wright & White, 1996).

It is most likely that a combination of a selection of these proposed causes led to the collapse. Currently, if a single reason was to be chosen, a theory on climate change is the strongest contender. Climate change, according to Lucero, “may have set in motion several of the “causes” mentioned” (2002). Most notably, a climate change concerning change in rainfall affected the Mayan elites’ control over water. The Maya knew about the fluctuating seasons; in the plurality of the regions studied, there was a wet and dry season. Rulers managed available, clean water sources through different technological and agricultural advances, such as reservoirs, as well as through ceremonial and religious practices, like performing rituals to please the rain god, Chac (Lucero, 2002). Around 750 B. C. E., a drought began that possibly had a formidable influence on the Classic

Maya.
Without sufficient rainfall, and therefore, a predictable and reliable source of water, clean drinking water reservoirs began to be used up faster than they could be refilled. Because the Mayan elites not only controlled the water supply but also connected themselves directly to the gods, they were probably blamed by the civilians for the problematic situation. In addition, pollen data from this period suggests that deforestation was already in effect in the Early Classic (Lucero, 2002), something that would eventually cause a problem for a steadily increasing population. Furthermore, lack of rainfall would disrupt the agriculture needed to support an immense, demanding population. As Wright and White state, “Under pressure to produce sufficient food, farmers are argued to have responded by cultivating more high-yield crops, especially maize” (1996). With the new diet centered around maize, the people would miss vital nutrients and vitamins in their diet, reducing the quality. A lack of adequate variance in nutrition could lead to a weaker immune system, which would allow infectious disease to spread and take lives more quickly (Wright & White, 1996). Moreover, malnutrition would increase the mortality rate in both adults and children.
In some cases, a site was located near a natural source of water, like a river. These sites were typically not the major ones, and were often influenced by larger, state-sized Classic Maya populations. When the polities in charge of the states eventually fell or were overthrown, some of the smaller cities fell with them; others prevailed for some time. The ones that outlasted the states eventually ceased in existence because of a disruption in the government and ever decreasing resources.
Learning from the Past
Ancient civilizations are dubbed so for a reason: they no longer persist as they did at their heights. Traces of them may be left behind or seen in the current society, but technological, agricultural, and other advances, as well as the course of human history, differentiate modern civilizations from ancient ones. One of the reasons societies exist as they do today is because of the events of the past; generally, people learn from what their ancestors did---whether it be right or wrong, advantageous or disadvantageous. In some cases, modern day people are unaware of how the actions and decisions of a previous civilization could compare to the choices they make each day, especially when confronted with a tricky predicament. The Classic Maya society can be used to hopefully avoid the collapse of the civilizations so many depend on for survival.
One proposed theory as to why the Classic Maya period ended is a drought, which caused a lack of an important resource: water. The leaders of the United States of America could look to the Classic Maya as an both an example and a warning; the Mayans made particular choices concerning water, but also never truly considered that their supply would ever run out. Because the U. S. does not face a major water crisis, the resource Americans heavily depend on, to the level which the Classic Mayans depended on water, is fossil fuels. Since they are a nonrenewable source of energy, fossil fuels will eventually run out; although they have many uses, fossil fuels are typically used in automobiles for transportation and energy purposes. According to Tainter, “Reserves of oil are declining, and we are experiencing severly lower net returns from searching for and producing oil from new sources. It is, furthermore, unlikely that renewable sources of energy will be able to fully replace declining supplies of oil” (2014). Despite scientists’ efforts to push for more renewable sources, like hydroelectric power, wind power, and solar power, to be used in place of fossil fuels, it is either too expensive for most Americans to make the switch or they are uninformed about the situation at hand. An extensive government funding in support of nonrenewable resources would most likely not occur to the altitude necessary, for renewable sources are less dense energy-wise than fossil fuels (Tainter, 2014).
If American citizens chose to do nothing about this dilemma, the country itself could eventually collapse. Citizens may fear that the government or oil companies are withholding a product needed to run their automobiles; this could lead to a revolt or departure from the country in search of the resource they require. Thankfully, this issue is attempting to be tackled by knowledgeable individuals. The majority of car companies have designed, or even have on market, an electricity run car that is rechargeable and relies on little gasoline. Some corporations are beginning to rely on solar or hydroelectric power to run their plants. Regardless, more could be done to prevent the possible demise of one of the youngest but most powerful countries in the world.