The Collapse of Mayan Civilization and the Future of Ours
Observing past civilizations gives us an insight into who our ancestors were and how they lived. Further, by studying how past civilizations fell, we can understand the limitations of our own societies, lifestyles, and environments. Through the advancement of human technology, most would assume we are more adept at survival. That being said, despite the evolution of human knowledge, we still tend to repeat the same mistakes. Overproduction, overpopulation, and global warming are all very prevalent, very dangerous factors in the modern day. When navigating this current age of climate change, it is critical to analyze the past in order to create more accurate projections. A specific case study to consider is the collapse of the Mayan civilization. In this scenario, we can see how both natural and anthropogenic climate change led to this group’s ultimate demise.
The Maya were a Mesoamerican society located in the Yucatan peninsula. More specifically, their civilization spanned across what is now known as Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras (“Maya,” 2020). Given the geographic location of this civilization and its proximity to the equator, the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) runs right through the area during the summer months. The ITCZ is described as the “world’s most important rainfall belt,” in the sense that many countries along the equator depend on its water for survival (Logan, 2020). The Maya, at the time, were no different.
According to research done on this civilization, “high rainfall favored Mayan population growth between 440 and 660 C.E.” (“Climate Change,” 2013). During this time, the vast amount of rain they received during summer months was crucial for the functioning of their society. In fact, this critical resource was what made them so successful in the first place. When referring to paleoclimate data, it is said that summer rains in this area supplied up to 90 percent of the Mayans’ year-round water source (Climate Change 2013). However, since the rainfall came down so quickly, it often seeped right through the limestone bedrock and created underground water formations, making surface water difficult to access (Climate Change 2013). In order to store this water source for the remainder of the year, the Maya created underground reservoirs which they could draw from in the winter months (Climate Change 2013).
Obviously, the Maya relied heavily on the functioning of the ITCZ, as it sustained their entire life force. However, recent speleothem research in Yok Balum, Belize has shown that, over time, the ITCZ began to contract and weaken (Logan 2020). This contraction inevitably caused a period of drought that affected the Maya deeply. Without regular rainfall, they could not sustain themselves, their animals, or their crops. Studies find that societies with adequate rainfall are associated with power and prosperity. On the contrary, those who experience drought are often plagued with civil unrest, warfare, and emigration out of the society in question (Logan 2020). This is exactly what we see in both circumstances among the Maya. During periods of proper ITCZ function, the Maya were a thriving society who had economic and agricultural stability. However, during periods of drought, we find that the Maya were not able to maintain this power, ultimately leading to a mass migration and collapse of the civilization as a whole. We have seen how natural climatic shifts affected the area. Now the question is, how were the Maya personally responsible for their own collapse?
Due to the rising sea level and continuous droughts the Maya were experiencing, they strategized a new way to sustain their crops: transforming forests into agricultural wetlands (Reyes, 2019). By doing so, they were able to maintain their maize crop and feed their ever-growing population. At the time, this seemed like a suitable option to ease their agricultural struggles. However, the action of cutting down the forests ultimately led to significant soil erosion. This, in turn, resulted in the failure of crops which set the Maya back even further (“Climate Change,” 2013).
Not only was there a mass amount of deforestation for the purpose of farming, building homes, temples, etc. But the Maya also participated in slash and burn agriculture, a technique which is intended to re-fertilize the soil for future use. However, it seems as though this technique is only a temporary solution, as the nutrients of the soil can be quickly used up and farmers have to migrate to new plots of land anyway (“Slash and Burn Agriculture,” 2021). Further, current climate research has shown that slash and burn agriculture, “exacerbates destructive impacts on already-fragile ecosystems and contributes to climate change” (Slash and Burn Agriculture 2021).
The lack of trees and presence of large fires ultimately caused the Maya to emit a significant amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (Reyes, 2019). Doing so inherently caused the planet to warm, which, in turn, amplified the climate effects already increasing the sea levels and drought. In fact, it is said that, “The highest production of methane in the premodern world comes from their massive expense of wetland field complexes” (Reyes, 2019). It seems that in response to the changing climate, the Maya adapted techniques that further intensified its devastating effects.
We know that the Maya were responsible for anthropogenic climate change by looking at the climate when they were not present. For example, after the first collapse of Mirador, we can see a drop in corn, weeds, and agricultural production, as well as a recovery in trees (Wahl et. al, 2007). Likewise, during the collapse of Tikal several years later, we see a decrease in magnetic susceptibility, and, once again, a recovery in the earth surrounding the area (Wahl et. al, 2007).
By looking at this paleoclimate data, it is clear to see how removing harmful agricultural techniques allows the planet to recover. Therefore, we can assume that Mayan use of deforestation, farming, and slash and burn agriculture led to the global warming that ultimately caused their collapse. Sure, the climate was already changing naturally at the time of this societal destruction. Nevertheless, it is safe to assume that in response to these changing conditions, the Maya ended up altering their ecosystem so drastically that it only worsened their situation.
The collapse of the Maya was a tragic occurrence. However, reflecting on the mechanisms behind this collapse can help us understand our current impact on the climate, and what will happen if we repeat the same mistakes. On a natural level, the ITCZ is already starting to contract once again, endangering those living in Central America. Further, on an anthropogenic level, our current deforestation and overconsumption patterns far exceed the Maya. Understanding the magnitude of these climatic stressors should prompt our society to implement change immediately. Failure to do so will inevitably lead to our own demise as well.
Works Cited
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopedia (2020, August 31). Maya. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Maya-people
Climate Change and the Decline of Mayan Civilization. (2013). Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science. https://doi.org/https://sites.dartmouth.edu/dujs/2013/03/08/climate-change-and-the-decline-of-mayan-civilization/
Our impact: Slash and burn agriculture: Ecologic Development Fund. EcoLogic. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2021, from https://www.ecologic.org/our-impact/challenges/slash-and-burn-agriculture.
Logan, J. (2020). A Measure of Concern. UC Santa Barbara. https://doi.org/https://www.news.ucsb.edu/2020/019793/measure-concern
Reyes, M. (2019, October 7). Research Shows Maya's Significant Impact on Ecosystem. Courthousenews.com. Retrieved October 11, 2021, from https://www.courthousenews.com/research-shows-mayas-significant-impact-on-ecosystem/.
Wahl, D. et. al. (2007, April 10). Paleolimnological evidence of late-Holocene settlement and abandonment in the Mirador Basin, Peten, Guatemala. The Holocene. Pp. 813-820.