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Article: TIMELINE.(the decline of Mayan civilization)
- Article from:
- Calliope
- Article date:
- February 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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MAYA DECLINE
During the A.D. 800s, building ceased and population dropped dramatically in one city after another in the lowland rain forest. The causes for this abrupt end to Classic Maya civilization are various and complex. In some areas, overpopulation and deforestation clearly contributed to the decline. In others, warfare seems to have played a major role.
Maya civilization, however, did not disappear. People spread out to less populous areas in the rain forest and moved north and east into Belize and northern Yucatan. They built the so-called Post Classic Maya civilization, which differed from the Classic in its political system, religious beliefs, and ...