What Happened to the Maya?

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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The Maya people were known for their temples, their system of writing, art, architecture, math, and calendars, as well as that famous food mentioned above (chocolate!).

They lived in what is now called Central America and had a thriving civilization beginning around 2000 B.C.

However, this great civilization also has a mystery attached to it.

To be clear, not all the Maya suddenly disappeared. Many Maya are alive today! But the cities in the southern lowlands seem to have been more or less suddenly abandoned.

Historians know that the Maya culture was alive and well in the southern lowlands in the ninth century A.D. (the 800s) but had disappeared entirely by the tenth century A.D. The Maya sculpted tall stone monuments called stela, and the last recorded date on a stela in this area was the year 904.

Historians have debated what happened to these Maya for many years. Many theories have emerged from these debates; you will evaluate a few.

First, read the following to learn about some of those theories. Take notes as you read.

Theories About the Abandoning of Maya Cities

War

Historians once thought that the Maya were peaceful people, but recent discoveries have shown that the Maya city-states often warred among themselves.

Historical records show that one city-state, Dos Pilas, was destroyed in 760 A.D. by invaders from another city-state. It's possible that civil war among the Maya reached such a pitch that it wiped out the entire civilization.

Some historians also speculate that rather than regional conflicts, a class war may have erupted between the ordinary workers and the Maya elites over forced labor and food shortages.

Famine

The Maya were an agricultural people who survived by growing corn, beans, and squash. As the Mayan civilization grew, the large cities placed a great demand on the food supply.

They could have suffered from a water shortage that made growing enough food difficult. This particular region was a desert-like area. The Maya had to collect rainwater and find ways to store and manage it wisely.

A drought, flood, change in water supply, or other agricultural disaster may have decimated the food supply and brought famine.

Researchers have found evidence of prolonged droughts in the region.

Disease or Natural Disaster

An epidemic could have killed many Maya immediately and had a prolonged effect on the health and well-being of the community. Researchers have discovered several diseases caused by parasites that might have affected them.

Previously, some researchers believed that a natural disaster such as a volcano, earthquake, or flood occurred to wipe out the Maya civilization. Today, the natural disaster theory has been discarded by many.

They argue that the Maya's decline was more gradual, occurring over several hundred years rather than all at once. But it's still possible that some natural disaster triggered the beginning of its decline.

Will We Ever Know What Happened to the Maya?

One of the theories above may explain the abandonment of Maya cities in the lowland plains. Alternatively, it may have been a combination of factors.

• Did a natural disaster lead to a famine, leading to civil war?

Historians and archeologists will continue to study and debate the issue, and we may eventually know what happened to the ancient Maya.

• Did you take notes on the theories?

If not, go back and do it now!

Then, go to the Got It? section to evaluate these arguments.