Decline+of+the+Mayan+Empire+Essay



The Maya were a highly developed civilization spanning from almost 2000 B.C.E to 1200 A.D, encompassing the area of the modern Mexican province of Yucatan to Honduras. The decline of their civilization provides important insight into the importance of sustainable development. __The importance of sustainable development is exemplified by the demise of the Mayan empire due to their agricultural techniques, constant warfare and rapid population growth.__

A large part of the Mayan economy was agriculture. The Mayans mainly grew maize, beans, and squash ([|Mayan Warfare and Farming:]  ). All of the Mayan cities were located in tropical forests, where the soil is generally very thin and difficult for crop growth ([|Authentic Maya] ). The Mayans managed to temporarily bypass this problem by using an agricultural technique known as “slash and burn,” a technique that consists of burning all plant life in the chosen section. The soil, rich in nitrogen and minerals, and balanced pH levels was well suited to the nature of the crops. This technique was used repeatedly by the Maya and the topsoil consequently became infertile. Subsequently, the dry soil was susceptible to erosion, polluting the rivers and the land became useless. (“Ancient Maya” by Arthur Andrew Demarest page 131 – 133). While the Mayan farmers used mud from the bottom of swamps as fertilizer, and alternated crops annually to use the land as efficiently as possible, the attempts at sustaining crops was challenging ([|Authentic Maya] ). Evidence of a severe drought has been proven by scientists who have examined pollen samples from the Yucatan peninsula 1200 years ago. The depleted soil combined with a lack of water would have starved the Mayans, contributing to its collapse ([|Science @ NASA] ). Despite providing enough food for the population for hundreds of years, the repeated use of this agricultural technique destroyed the land. This highlights the importance of sustainable agricultural practices in a society.

In the early 20th century, archeologists thought the Maya were a peaceful people. In reality, the Mayans were almost constantly at war with one another, like the city-states of ancient Greece (“The ancient Maya” by Robert J. Sharer and Loa P. Traxler, page 79). Some cities had few resources and relied on warfare to survive, such as the city of Dos Pilas in northern Guatemala ([|National Geographic] ). While their battle tactics are largely unknown, it is suspected that they moved quickly and attacked brutally. Instead of killing the citizens of a city, they would poison their water supply with cadavers or pollute their fields ([|National Geographic] ). Their weapons were fairly primitive, consisting mainly of spears, daggers, bows and arrows, and sickles (also used in agriculture) made from wood and flint ([|Thinkquest] ). Scientists have found evidence of endemic warfare during the early 8th century to the late 10th century through increased war imagery on monuments and temples ([|Authentic Maya] ). The potential causes for this are numerous, such as the drought is believed to have caused the starving lower classes to rebel. Alliances between cities also began to break down during this time; an alliance between the cities of Teotihuacán and Tikal failed after over 100 years ([|National Geographic] ). Warfare was an important aspect of Mayan life; they had ceremonies and celebrations, and corresponded large attacks to the movements of Venus. There are many carvings in temples and buildings, and other artistic representations of warfare ([|"Mayan Civilization"] ). The Mayans spent a lot of time, energy, and resources on war. They depleted an already failing civilization and decimated any hope of a possible revival, demonstrating the importance of sustainable development.

The growing population was the final blow to the Mayan Empire. Relative to the geographical territory, the population was small. The city state system consisted of independent cities that were densely populated urban areas surrounded by sparsely populated rural areas. During the 10th century, it was estimated that there were 2000 people per square mile, and 500 people per square mile in rural areas ([|Science @ NASA] ). Archeologists don’t believe that an epidemic was a significant factor in the destruction of the Maya, however living in cramped conditions would have resulted in a number of health problems. If the water supply for the city had become contaminated, the population could have ingested deadly bacteria or toxins ([|National Geographic] ). Parasites while very common in tropical regions can cause irreparable damage to the body. Furthermore, mosquitoes thrive in tropical regions, which could have helped spread other diseases such as malaria and Dengue Fever ([|"Tropical Diseases"] ). The dense population facilitated the spread of these diseases. When the Spanish arrived in the early 16th century, although the Mayan Empire had already collapsed, some Mayans survived. The Spanish contaminated the remaining Maya with foreign diseases such as measles, smallpox, and syphilis ([|Crystalinks] ). The diseases brought by the Spanish had detrimental effects on the population, and effectively destroyed the rest of it. This demonstrates the importance of sustainable development in relation to population growth and density. The survival of this culture was compromised by the population density, and effects of disease and starvation thus inhibiting sustainable development.

The importance of sustainable development is demonstrated by the downfall of the Mayan Empire due to their agricultural techniques, almost constant warfare and population growth. Many of the factors that contributed to the downfall of the Maya are similar to aspects in our society today. Our agricultural techniques today are very controversial and high debated; particularly about pesticides and the impacts they have on the environmental. Our society is less focused around war, although we still spend valuable resources on war. Finally, the human population is growing very rapidly, and there are growing health concerns in countries with high population densities such as India, China, and Japan.

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