| The Mayan civilization has been credited with | | | | the Maya. They also argue that throughout its |
| having the first written language in the | | | | existence, the Mayas had a stable government, |
| pre-Columbian American continent. Aside from | | | | and so, one political problem could not have |
| that, Maya civilization developed sophisticated | | | | brought the downfall of the civilization. |
| mathematical and astronomical systems at par | | | | Environmental Theories |
| with European civilization. Remnants of its art and | | | | There are several environmental theories that |
| architecture remain until today, so people of | | | | relate to the collapse of the Maya civilization. |
| today can view the magnificent Mayan buildings | | | | These include catastrophic events such as natural |
| and paintings. | | | | disasters. Mayanists dispute this theory, as there |
| The Maya civilization was one of the greatest | | | | have been no evidence of a past volcanic eruption |
| Mesoamerican civilizations, but at some point in | | | | being discovered in the archaeological records left |
| time, they simply disappeared. What happened to | | | | behind by the Mayas. According to Dr. Richardson |
| them? | | | | Gill, volcanic eruptions may have been a way of |
| Theories of the Classic Maya Collapse | | | | cooling the climate in the Mayan region after a |
| The Classic Maya Collapse, as the collapse of the | | | | drought since droughts have been accurately |
| Maya civilization is dubbed among experts, has not | | | | documented by the Spanish in the Mayan region. |
| been fully explained; and so several theories are | | | | However, no archaeological evidence existed to |
| being put forth by experts to try and explain the | | | | support the volcanic eruption theory. |
| reason why the great Maya civilization shattered | | | | Some experts also point to epidemic diseases as |
| from prominence. | | | | a possible cause of the decline in the Maya |
| Social Theories | | | | civilization. According to proponents of this theory, |
| Social theories being put forth by experts include | | | | the Maya civilization may have decreased during |
| foreign invasion, but this is widely disputed as the | | | | the collapse because of some epidemic that |
| process was so complex that it is impossible for a | | | | spread across the land. Although this theory is not |
| single military defeat to cause the collapse of a | | | | well accepted, it is also plausible because disease |
| civilization. This theory is fueled by the amount of | | | | may have arisen from drought and famine. It is |
| Teotihuacan influences in the Maya region, but | | | | generally thought that disease merely contributed |
| opponents of this theory argue that the two | | | | to the decline, but it is not a major factor in the |
| civilizations had been in contact since at the Early | | | | collapse. |
| Classic Period. | | | | The Remnants of the Maya Civilization |
| Another social theory being put forth is a | | | | The Maya people never truly disappeared. Most of |
| revolution among the lower classes. Proponents of | | | | them have survived until today, and are |
| this theory hypothesized that, at the peak of the | | | | designated post-colonial Mayas to differentiate |
| civilization, the lower class may have been | | | | them from the pre-Hispanic Maya civilization. |
| overloaded with work and revolted. Evidences of | | | | Maya influence remains to this day. Mayan cuisine |
| temple burning and throne destruction are used as | | | | is still available in an island called Isla Mujeres in |
| support for this theory. However, people not | | | | Mexico. Some companies have even taken to |
| subscribing to this line of thought point to several | | | | naming themselves after the Mayas, most |
| flaws, like no revolts were ever documented by | | | | notably the Grupo Mayan firm. |