Mayan Civilization
Instructions: pick from the topics. The Humanities: Culture, continuity and change, Vol I
Solution.
Mayan Civilization
The mysterious vanishing of the inordinate Mayan Civilization was well-thought-out as a mystery long time ago. Research has clearly stated some stunning facts that thoroughly explains why the great civilization of all time vanished.
To begin with, (Turner & Sabloff, 2012) suggest that the severe climatic conditions at across the Yucatan might have instigated the collapse of the Mayan civilization. Notably, these analyzed archeological deductions indicate that at the time, the Mayans experienced a severe reduction in rainfall tied with a rapid rate of deforestation as the Mayans chopped down and burned their forest to gain access to land for agriculture purposes. Additionally, Colombian University researchers conducted computer simulated studies on whether the cut-down of trees at the Yucatan can affect the amount of rainfall (Stromberg, 2012). It was evident that due to the Mayan’s urge in prospering agriculturally, they needed land to cultivate. This land was found only through cutting down of trees. Scientifically, barren lands without trees absorb less solar radiations. Hence, less water evaporates from the surface making rainfall more scarce. Therefore, as established earlier, it exacerbated severe drought among the Mayan settlements.
As a Mayan culture, they used to consume wood for fuel and construction purposes; this led to deforestation that resulted to severe drought. The Maya were no fools, as they knew to survive with the new changes in the environment and they still practiced deforestation. In the process, crops failed due to the harsh conditions brought forth by the drought. Traders changed their routes as Peasants and Craftsmen made critical decisions to abandon the lowlands which later paved the way for a declination of the great civilization.
In conclusion, theories have stipulated that the tragic
disappearance of the Mayan civilization be
caused by natural reasons that include catastrophic climatic changes
caused by the drought. Also, the perdition of the traditional trade routes and
modes used by the Mayan tradesmen also added to the list of disasters that
instigated the fall of a great civilization in history.
References
Stromberg, J. (2012, August 23). Why Did the Mayan Civilization Collapse? A New Study Points to Deforestation and Climate Change. Retrieved August 2, 2016, from Smithsonian: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-did-the-mayan-civilization-collapse-a-new-study-points-to-deforestation-and-climate-change-30863026/?no-ist
Turner, B. L., & Sabloff, J. A. (2012). Classic Period collapse of the Central Maya Lowlands: Insights about Human–Environment Relationships for Sustainability. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(35), 13908-13914. doi:doi: 10.1073/pnas.1210106109