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Transcript

Theory of drought

Evidences:

Dick Gill was the first one to have brought it up:

"He felt sure the Maya had faced a huge drought, but he had no evidence to back up his theory, so he set out to search for clues"

vegetation cover help us maintain the ideal temperature and also it helps capture rainfall possible way to store water. It intensified the drought effect.

Scope of presentation

Introduction to Maya Civilization

1)Possible causes that led to Maya downfall

2)Drought

3)Deforestation

4)conclusion

Background info

Maya disappearance

  • one of the most mysterious
  • civilizations.
  • During approx. 8th to 9th
  • century, Maya centers of the southern lowlands went into
  • decline.
  • This is seen through the cessation of monumental inscriptions

Introduction:

  • Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization
  • famous for its art, mathematical breakthroughs as well as

astronomical system and architecture.

  • Advanced and fully developed in writing, epigraphy and

developed their own calendar system.

  • During the time 250AD to 900 AD, Mayan culture flourished until the spanish conquest.

Exploration&Discovery

Professor David Galaty

The Maya collapse

By Minh Pham

Malnutrition

Diseases

Warfare

Theory framework:

prolonged drought in the Maya region led to their civilization destruction

Theory Framework:

Deforestation caused by slashnburn technique

And also, Slash and burn technique produces faster

crops, however it will exhaust the soil and after a short

time , The soil will deplete, This may lead to food shortage

to support the whole population--> led to the downfall of

the civilization.

Deforestation

Evidences:

Server, Nasa's aechaeologist proved his point "From pollen trapped in ancient layers of lake sediment, scientists have learned that around 1,200 years ago just before the civilization collapse, tree pollen disappeared almost completely.."

Overpopulation

Evidences from Lake Chichancanab in Yucatan

Dated back to 9th century

Mud level built up 1000 years ago show that lake level fell very low at that time

Also, The mayans lived in a seasonal desert area, having no access to clean water so their only source of water would be collecting rainfall into reservoirs.

Therefore this theory of drought may be right!

More scientific evidences:

ice core analysis in Greenland

It observed a drop in Ammonium level

suggesting that there was little vegetation.

Further confirmed the theory.

Archeological evidence:

Thirty bodies 10 men 10 women 10 kids

brutally murdered. It supported the hypothesis of War, however forensic evidence showed that they were related.

Also, teeth were carefully perforated and pointed,

suggests their roles back in the Maya society: Maya elite priests who were sacrificed. As they failed to call forth the rain.

Historical evidences & Scientific technology

  • he looked up evidence of drought that happened in history of Mexico from the city weather record center

  • It happened there before (1902- 1904)

  • Also found one plea for help from the city of Yucatan that is dated back to 1795 that "colonial records from Spanish authorities in Yucatan province of Mexico, telling of repeated drought."

Science came right in!

Scientific fact: weather is a world phenomenon so he started to look through history of world weather at the approximate time of Mayan disappearance around late 8th century.

Meteorology paper: "Dendrochrology, mass balance and glacier front fluctuations in northern Sweden" : It was exceptionally cold in Sweden at that time.

Scientific system: "North atlantic high pressure system --> link weather from Europe to North America.

Prove that when it is extremely cold in Europe,

there will be no rain in maya areas.

Maya hieroglyphic writing:

Cim cehil: The deer die

Metaphor for severe drought

This show us the tenable conclusion

that heavy drought happened in Yucatan.

Conclusion

Evidences

Questions ?

THANK YOU!

Drought is possibly the culprit that drove the whole Maya civilization to extinction. However, It might not be the only cause, other possible scenarios like deforestation caused by slash-and-burn farming method, malnutrition and population growth may have intensified the situation.

What we are sure of is Drought played a very big role in the collapse of this civilization or even jumpstarted it. Other factors may have intensified the situation.

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