Reilly Smith

Mr. Palcsey

Honors English 10

April 30, 2018

The Collapse of the Mayan Empire

The Mayan Empire was an advanced Mesoamerican civilization. The society thrived in

the humid jungles and lived off of agriculture. It is well known for its mathematical,

astronomical, architectural, and artistic achievements. One of the most legendary pieces of

architecture is Chichen Itza, a step pyramid that was used in sacrificial rituals. The civilization

reformed and refashioned itself over a period of about 3,000 years. Historians have separated the

time into three sections: Pre-Classic (2000 B.C. to A.D. 250), Classic (A.D. 250 to A.D. 900),

and the Post-Classic (A.D. 900 to A.D. 1519). Little is known about the Classic period, causing

scholars to assume the worst. Multiple theories as to what happened to these people have come

to surface. The fall the Mayan Empire is plagued with mystery that has intrigued historians for

centuries.

One popular theory is the disease theory. This idea stems from the fact that an Indian

group also located in the Yucatan Peninsula was partially exterminated by an epidemic. A

Mesoamerican group, the Aztecs, had become infected by small pox from an African slave that

came to the Americas with the Spanish. Scholars believe that the epidemic had killed between

50,000 and 300,000 natives (PringleJun par. 4). Although it can be controlled and treated now,

catching small pox in early times meant certain death. Since the Maya people perceived illness as

an evil spirit trapped within a host, they turned to the shaman, or medicine man, to banish it
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away. Typical medicines the shaman used include herbal remedies and hallucinogens. "Not all

indigenous groups suffered such a grim fate. The smallpox virus spread more easily in densely

populated Tenochtitláan than it did in less inhabited regions, such as the Great Plains of the

United States” (PringleJun par. 5). This quote states that small pox distributes itself faster when

large groups of people live closely together. The Mayans lived densely because there was very

little fertile land for them to live off of in the rainforest. On the other hand, the North American

natives of the Great Plains lived very spread out. The land was flat, so they were able to travel

easily as they followed the buffalo for food. Outstretched communities make it harder to

distribute disease. Children playing and touching one another is a way more people catch

disease because kids spread it the most ("American Academy of Pediatrics"). Since the Mayans

were a mass group of people and lived in disease-breeding grounds, illness spread fast. Disease,

if caught at a young age, could cause nutritional deficiencies that leave the survivors with life-

long problems. Furthermore, any disease along with small pox could have eradicated the Mayan

Empire, whether it be themselves or contaminated resources. The Mayans could have died from

parasitic diseases like American trypanosomiasis, Ascaris, and enteropathogens. These diseases

occurred when crops became infected (Shimkin and Willey). Infected crops mean that a vital

resource is disappearing, which would lead to starvation for its consumer. The maize mosaic

virus is only transmitted by a leafhopper, which is a small insect that acts as a pest to crops in

warm regions (“Maize Mosaic Virus”). This is a potential infection to maize, the staple food of

the Maya.

It could also be suggested that the Mayan Empire collapsed because of a drought. Water

was extremely sacred to the Maya because they lived in an area with unpredictable rainfall. They

believed that the world was born from Xiabalba, "the Other World". In the beginning, there was
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no land, animals, or vegetation, only water (Fagan 141). The dry season lasted between 4 and 6

months, and occurred after May and October, the rainy season. After years of trial and error, the

Mayans found that it was smartest to live near the bases of shallow natural depressions in the

earth. They constructed reservoirs to hold and gather rainwater during the rainy season (Fagan

143). The rain water they gathered was enough to last them year to year, with nothing left over.

The Mayans made sure that they never wasted any of it. "The same reservoir system was also an

integral part of an extensive agricultural landscape” (Fagan 143). The Mayans purposely put

their farming grounds around their reservoirs to get the most out it. Lack of water for their crops

would lead to lack of food, which is a surefire way to die of starvation. If the water reservoirs ran

out of water, then the farmers could not grow enough food to provide for an increasing

population (Fagan 144). The fact that the Maya were not nomadic and had perfected a sedentary

lifestyle lead to more leisure time. This extra time allowed them to further populate and embrace

the arts and sciences around them. If the Maya did have ample water supply in their reservoirs,

then farmers could possibly grow 2 crops per year (Fagan 144). Eventually, the land surrounding

the Mayans decreased as the population increased. Since the noble class in the Maya lived the

best lives, their descendants became obsessed with lineage. Suddenly, the Mayan society was

top-heavy while the lower classes lacked workers (Fagan 150). Lack of people to work in the

fields lead to faster deforestation and limited agricultural yields. After a few years, the lower

class was angry at the full bellies of the nobility, so the poor desert their leaders. They scattered

and the populations in the Mayan cities diminished (Fagan 153).

The theory of war overtaking the Empire can also be added to the list of possibilities. A

hypothesis states that the southern lowlands were invaded by a non-Maya group whose

homeland was probably in the gulf coast lowlands. It is believed that the Toltecs, a group of
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Mesoamericans known for their craftsmanship, fought the Mayans (Cartwright). Like the

Mayans, the Toltecs were advanced and they were well known for their arts. It is believed that

they abandoned their land because of drought, social collapse, or land strain. The war theory is

not definite because the Mayans were strong warriors. Teotihuacan was a city in the Mayan

Region. It is considered to be the greatest city in the Pre-Columbian New World. Michael C. Coe

and Stephen Houston, authors of The Maya, say that "The art of the great city is permeated with

war symbolism, and there can be little doubt that war and conquest were major concerns for its

rulers." They also state that "Teotihuacan fighting men were armed with altatl-propelled darts

and rectangular shields, and bore round, decorated, pyrite mosaic mirrors on their backs; with

their eyes sometimes partly hidden by white shell "goggles" and their feather headdresses."

These fighters were well trained, well-armed, and athletic. They wore costumes designed to look

intimidating as well as be functional. The men had quintessential coordination since they used

darts and spears as weaponry. The Elite Family and even artists/Scribes were skilled in use of

weaponry. Their forceful army was valuable to their survival.

It is important to note however, that there is evidence of a tsunami wiping out the

Mayans and causing them to repopulate elsewhere. There are several lines of proof for an ancient

tsunami, foremost a large, wedge-shaped berm about 15 feet above sea level paved with washing

machine-sized stones, to support this theory (CU Boulder Today). Although it is not a large

tsunami, it still would have been a shock for the Mayans to see, especially if it was during the

dry season. The average height for a tsunami is 100 feet tall. CU Boulder Today, a newspaper

organization, stated that "Researchers have found “outlier berms,” spanning some 125 miles

along the Yucatan coastline that suggest the tsunami impacted a very large region." This means

that the whole Yucatan Peninsula could have been struck by the wave. The length of the
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Peninsula is 200 miles, so it is unlikely that a wave could be this wide also. It was probably the

impact it caused that created such a disaster. Scratches from coral were found high up on the

berm. This means that there had to have been a great force that ripped away the elements from

the ocean floor and bring them up the surface (CU Boulder Today). Tsunamis always occur as a

type of aftershock to a natural disaster, so it most likely activated by a hurricane, earthquake, or

“super typhoon”.

In conclusion, an innumerable amount of ideas as to what caused the collapse of the

Mayan Empire are still being debated. The disease theory can be supported because of how

easily illness spread in ancient times, especially since they did not know germs exist. Their ideas

of a cure had good intentions, but did not help physically whatsoever. The drought theory is also

plausible because of how scarce rainfall is in the Yucatan Peninsula. If their water reservoirs

failed them, then the Mayans would perish along with their crops. In addition, the theory of

demise by warfare could have happened, but not enough evidence has come to surface. The

Maya would have surely been able to defend themselves in battle with the skills and athleticism

they possessed. The tsunami theory can be backed up by the berms in the rock formations in

Mayan land. Unfortunately, the Mayans would have been better prepared for a drought rather

than a tsunami. As of right now, the exact cause for the disappearance of an extraordinarily

savvy community is undisclosed.

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Works Cited:

PringleJun, Heather, et al. “How Europeans Brought Sickness to the New World.” Science |

AAAS, 10 Dec. 2017, www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/06/how-europeans-brought-sickness-

new-world.

“Reducing the Spread of Illness in Child Care.” HealthyChildren.org,

www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/prevention/Pages/Prevention-In-

Child-Care-or-School.aspx

Willey, Gordon R., and Demitri B. Shimkin. “Journal of Anthropological Research.”

Southwestern Journal of Anthropology,

www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/soutjanth.27.1.3629181.

Fagan, Brian M. The Great Warming: Climate Change and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations.

Bloomsbury Press, 2009.

Cartwright, Mark. “Toltec Civilization.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History

Encyclopedia, 15 Apr. 2018, www.ancient.eu/Toltec_Civilization/.

Coe, Michael D., and Stephen D. Houston. The Maya. Thames & Hudson, 2015.

“Evidence Indicates Yucatan Peninsula Likely Hit by Tsunami 1,500 Years Ago.” CU Boulder

Today, 20 July 2016, www.colorado.edu/today/2015/03/05/evidence-indicates-yucatan-

peninsula-likely-hit-tsunami-1500-years-ago.

“Maize Mosaic Virus.” 2010.

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