1. Chapter 5 The Maya Collapses
Sean, Andy, and Sandra

3. History Part of Micro America an ancient Native American region
First contact with Europeans came in 1502
1527 Spanish began to conquer Maya
Rediscovered in 1839 by American John Stephans

4. Water Who were the Mayans?
Dug depressions and plugged leaks to collect rain water, what is now a modern day well.
Also used cenotes to gather fresh water

5. Who were the Mayans Food
Domesticated turkey, duck, and dog.
Hunted deer but eaten mostly by the rich
No large animals or protein rich vegetables were available
Grew corn and beans
Used Slash and Burn farming technique

6. Interactions Aztecs Spanish Other Mayan tribes
Take land from them to grow more crops
Spanish
Bishop Diego de Landa, burned Maya manuscripts
Other Mayan tribes
Competed for resources

7. The Height of Maya Culturally and Agriculturally advance
Held kingdoms of populations up to 500,000 within a 2-3 day walk from palace
Pottery and writings discovered to be around from 1000 BC
Grew Fish and Turtles in flooded fields as an addition food source
Flooded fields to bring nutrients to soil faster

8. Collapse Humid climate made it hard to keep crops
Isolated kingdoms limited positive interaction and lead to major wars
Repetitive Draughts
So successful they failed
Outgrew environment
Kings sat back and watched their failure

9. Precipitating Events
War with both Aztecs and other Maya tribes grew more and more frequent as they neared collapse.
Population growth caused the boundaries of different kingdoms to overlap.

10. Five Points Damaged Environment Climate Change Hostilities Politics
Deforestation and erosion
Climate Change
Draught
Hostilities
Fought amongst themselves
Politics
Competition among kings and nobles that led to chronic war and erecting monuments instead of solving problems
Trade
Trade with external societies was not a factor because of their seclusion
They traded amongst themselves

11. The Breakdown Over farming of land with growing population
Expansion of Kingdom borders
Poor soil
War between tribes
Dry Climate
Collapse