Assessment Questions 12.6

1. What major changes and dislocations did the Classic Maya civilization experience between the eighth and ninth centuries A.D.?

Major cities in the Maya heartland, particularly in the western Peten, were abandoned or saw significant population decreases. Monumental construction was severely reduced or halted, leading some to label this shift as a "collapse."

2. How do researchers define "collapse" in the context of civilizations, and what alternative interpretation is mentioned?

"Collapse" can involve the complete dissolution of a social, economic, or political entity. Alternatively, in the archaeological record, "collapse" might reflect the reconfiguring of a social, economic, or political system, involving a general strategy of "downsizing."

3. What is the drought hypothesis, and how does paleoenvironmental evidence support or challenge it in explaining the Maya collapse?

Some researchers propose that a long-term drought from around 660 C.E. to 1000 C.E. led to the collapse of the Maya civilization. Paleoenvironmental evidence, such as a sharp increase in 18O concentration in a stalagmite, supports the occurrence of a severe drought between 820 and 870 C.E. However, challenges to this hypothesis include thriving Maya city-states during the drought and abandonment of some cities before the drought became serious.