The Decline Of The Mayan Civilization - 1196 Words

The rise of civilizations significantly increased as the world made its shift from the Paleolithic Era to the Neolithic Era and onward. The Mayan civilization arose as a part of Mesoamerica during the sixteenth century. Occupying the regions of Central America and Mexico, the Mayans had a strong impact on the world with militaristic and influence from the invention of advancements. The earliest record of the Mayan existence dates back to circa 400 B.C. The Mayan Civilization extended over a time period dating back to 400 B.C to approximately 1517 A.D. This domination lasted for approximately 1200 years until their mysterious disappearing. This civilization hit its height throughout the time period of 200 A.D to 900 A.D. Many factors led†¦show more content†¦The Mayan territory charted to populate the areas of Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Ecuador, El Salvador, and the southern tip of Mexico. Overpopulation began to occur as the growth of the empire extended. Urban areas sur rounding the large trade cities including Tikal and Chichen Itza, often had populations over 2000 people. Rural areas which were agriculturally dependent, were often populated with 200-400 people. The main centers of trade and urban areas were constructed out of limestone. This limestone was easily taken over by growing plants in which overtook the area. Deforestation then occurred to make more level farming area to provide food to the inhabitants. Tikal was home to rainforests and was one of the first cities to experience the downfall. According to NASA, â€Å"They had to burn 20 trees to heat the limestone for making just 1 square meter of the lime plaster they used to build their tremendous temples, reservoirs, and monuments (Coulter, 20). The burning of these trees resulted in detrimental environmental issues in which would soon harm to Mayan civilization due to removing carbon from the air. The Mayan civilization continued to undergo climate changes. Severe drought was brought upon the area following the deforestation. The Mayan civilization was prone to tropical climate in which influenced their making of the calendar. High rainfall was normal to the area and benefitted theShow MoreRelatedThe Decline Of The Mayan Civilization1143 Words   |  5 PagesThe early Mayan civilization had lowly beginnings. They rose to remarkable heights in a seemingly inhospitable land. As Maya scholar Arthur Demarest said â€Å"Such a civilization, had no business there.† The Mayans had to battle with torrential rain in the rainy season, and when the weather turned hot, it scorched the land and their water supplies would plummet. They were always faced with floods or drought. They were probably forced here due to overcrowding from other tribes. But nonetheless they beganRead MoreThe Fall of the Mayan Empire Essay1517 Words   |  7 Pages The fall of the Mayan Empire The collapse of the Mayan Empire is one of history’s greatest mysteries. 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