Discoveries

January 25, 2017

Mayan Civilization Collapse: Archaeologists

Find That Mayans Suffered Two Collapses
Norman Byrd

New archaeological evidence out of Guatemala suggests that the mysterious collapse of the
Mayan civilization in 9th century was preceded by another collapse of lesser magnitude. The
new findings have aided researchers in constructing the most accurate timeline yet of the Central
American civilization, providing information to what may ultimately have led to the Mayan
collapse.

UPI reported this week that archaeologists, using radiocarbon dating data to analyze 154 samples
from the ancient Mayan Royal Palace of Ceibal, a site located in northern Guatemalas Peten
Department that was burned during what is known as the Classic Maya collapse, have put
together a more detailed schedule of events that led up to that defining period. The survey of
radiocarbon data shows what looks like ebbs and flows in the civilizations population and
construction. Most striking was evidence that there was a smaller collapse prior to the Classic
occurrence but the size of the population and building construction that took place before and
after each collapse were almost identical.

What we found out is that those two cases of collapse Classic and Preclassic follow
similar patterns, Takeshi Inomata, lead study author and professor of anthropology and
archaeology at the University of Arizona, said in a news release. Its not just a simple collapse,
but there are waves of collapse. First, there are smaller waves, tied to warfare and some political
instability, then comes the major collapse, in which many centers got abandoned. Then there was
some recovery in some places, then another collapse.

As before the survey, the archaeologists are still at a loss to explain exactly why the Mayan
civilization suddenly disappeared. However, the new information will help clarify what led up to
both collapses. In so doing, it could give other archaeologists something to look for at other
archaeological sites and perhaps help in the establishment of a pattern that might eventually
explain the Mayan Classic collapse.

The Nunnery in Uxmal, Mexico, is from the Mayan Classic Period and is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. [Image by Anton_Ivanov/Shutterstock]

The Classic Maya Period, a time period ranging from 250 CE to 900 CE, is considered,
according to the MesoAmerican Research Center, as the height of Mayan civilization. It is
marked primarily by dated monuments, stelae, and buildings using the Mayan Long Count
Calendar. The fall-off in construction and the maintain of the cities, which followed the struggle
for limited resources a resource system that had sustained the Mayans for 15 centuries and
various internal conflicts, is seen as the end of the Classic Period. And while many Mayan cities
and villages would grow and flourish (places like Chichen Itza would become a central power
hub) after the end of the Classic Period, the Mayans would never again unite and control and
build as they had prior to the 10th century CE.

It should also be pointed out that some archaeologists disagree with the term collapse in
referring to what happened to the Mayan civilization. In fact, a 2007 article in the Journal of
Archeological Research, it was argued that there no such widespread collapse as had been
previously believed, although there were many instances of profound zonal change.

Ancient Mayan cities like Chichen Itza flourished through to the 13th century CE, well past the
Classic Maya Period collapse (900 CE). [Image by Alexander Sviridov/Shutterstock]

The new survey study might be able to bring some clarification to the debate.

Study co-author Melissa Burham, an anthropology graduate students at Arizona, noted that it
was really, really interesting that these collapses both look very similar, at very different time
periods. We now have a good understanding of what the process looked like, that potentially can
serve as a template for other people to try to see if they have a similar pattern at their
archaeological sites in the same area.

According to the University of Arizona statement, Professor Inomatas teams work will be
published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and will suggest that both
indicated Mayan collapses followed similar trajectories, with multiple waves of social
instability, warfare and political crises leading to the rapid fall of many city centers.

[Featured Image by chris kolaczan/Shutterstock]