The Ancient Civilization - 1502 Words

The ancient Maya civilisation has generated great interest in many academic scholars and scientists, due to the phenomenon which saw one of the most dramatic civilisation collapses in recorded history, during what has been referred to as the Terminal Classic Period- A.D. ∠¼700 to 950 (Haug et al, 2003). Interestingly, the ancient civilisation has been characterised by its collapse in the 9th century, perhaps even more so than its remarkable accomplishments, such as: creating vast hierarchical and political structures, architecture and symbolic artwork (Masson, 2012). The Maya empire comprised of indigenous populations, who were situated in North America, and inhabited southern present- day Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, Houndras and the semi-tropical lowland environment of Guatemala (Faust, 2001). The Maya collapse is an incredibly controversial topic, which is still debated in society today. Many substantial arguments have been placed to explain the fundamental cause of collapse, especially the downfall of the Maya lowland areas of the Yucatà ¡n peninsular region, which was arguably affected the most significantly. Consequently, this essay will examine the key hypotheses presented for the reasoning behind the collapse of the ancient Maya. Focusing on: drought and whether its cause was due to natural climatic changes or anthropogenic forcing, social factors such as, disease and war, and finally political and cultural issues, which may have led to the Maya demise. NaturalShow MoreRelatedAncient Civilization Of Ancient Civilizations2605 Words   |  11 Pagesevent or celebrate or revere a person or God. Mayan stelae monuments are monuments that were fashioned by the Maya civilization of ancient Mesoamerica. They consist of tall sculpted stone shafts and In ancient Maya society, cosmological beliefs encompassed all aspects of life and integrated individuals into a unitary worldview and culture. Inspired by their beliefs, Mayan civilization created some of the most intricate monuments, decorated in colors and hieroglyphics that depicted important imageryRead MoreThe Civilizations Of Ancient Civilization1178 Words   |  5 Pages Civilization, derived from the latin word â€Å"civis† meaning â€Å"citizen†, or simply someone who lives in a city. However, what is the difference between a group of people who live in a town and our modern concept of civilization. To find the answer to that question we can turn to the civilizations of ancient times. The beginning of civilization as we know it began in the Neolithic era. This era began with a very distinct change to the way of life, from the old way of migrating constantly to whereverRead MoreAncient Egyptian Civilization : Ancient Civilization930 Words   |  4 PagesThe an cient Egyptian civilization is one of the oldest known civilizations in history. It is believed that the ancient Egyptian civilization, based in eastern North Africa, started around 3150 B.C., and survived until 31 B.C. In this ancient civilization, art was considered to be magical. Whether in the form of painting, sculpture, carving or script, art held the power to maintain universal order and grant immortal life by appealing to various gods to act on behalf of people, both in life and inRead MoreAncient Civilizations1009 Words   |  4 Pages Ancient Civilizations Ancient Civilizations were more pronounced in the Bronze Age. This historical period lies between 4000 to 1200 BCE. Ostensibly, these civilizations were triggered by the onset of irrigations systems, which concomitantly increased food and water supply. Irrigation schemes and availability of food set precedence for people tens of thousands of people to live together in a common geographical location. Cities, states, and centrally developed kingdoms developed. From historicalRead MoreThe Ancient Civilization1622 Words   |  7 Pagesadvanced civilization is perhaps the most intriguing story of all.To understand what causes great civilizations, it is vital to note the process of collapse in other civilizations, such as the great Roman Empire. Differences in time period, geographical landscapes, and other circumstances mean no direct correlations are possible, but the outstanding point of similarity is that no single factor accounts for a large civilization s collapse. One similarity be tween these two civilizations is the processRead MoreAncient Civilizations And The Egyptian Civilization1403 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam McNeill, author of A World History, is in accordance with the belief that ancient civilizations who were in constant contact with conflict and war could develop a more advanced system of law, bureaucracy, and market prices. By that logic, Mesopotamia would have been far more advanced than Egypt. For example, Mesopotamia frequented attacks from barbarians because of the lay of the land. They also had trouble controlling war between centers of industry due to the inevitable struggle with theRead MoreThe Rise Of Civilization And Ancient Civilizations898 Words   |  4 PagesThe rise of civilization has always fascinated people. Since the appearance of anatomically modern human beings, some one hundred and fifty thousand years ago, the emergence of civilization has been one of the most important accomplishments of people. Civilization is defined as â€Å"an organizing principle that implies common institutions, economic systems, social structures, and values that extend over space and time† (Matthews 3). Some of the things that make up a civilization are religion, governmentRead MoreAncient Egypt : An Ancient Civilization1523 Words   |  7 Pages Ancient Egypt, an ancient civilization known today as one of the world’s greatest, would last over 3000 years thanks to the many Egyptians contributing to its success. One such Egyptian was the Pharaoh, Akhenaton. Born to King Amenhotep III, Akhenaton ascended to the throne at around 1353 BCE . He was also known as Amenhotep IV, but would later change his name to Akhenaton in order to worship the god â€Å"Aton† . Akhenaton may be considered one of the most important figures in Egyptian history seeingRead MoreThe Mayan Civilization : Ancient Civilization1425 Words   |  6 PagesThe Mayan Civilization: For many centuries the Mayan was of life was a mystery to archaeologists. Their geography, social structure, government, economy/trade, technology, writing, and arts were all thought to be forever lost. Now, as archaeologists are still uncovering more information, what was once referred to as â€Å"The Lost Civilization of Maya†, has been awakened from the grave of unknown. Geography: The ancient Mayan Civilization surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean stretchedRead MoreAncient Mesopotamia And Ancient Civilizations896 Words   |  4 Pages Throughout many cultures in ancient civilizations, humans have held a belief in superior beings to which they called gods. The gods, in the eyes of many of the ancient people, were responsible for many things such as crop growth, storms, fertility, and even creation of life. The Mesopotamians, Egyptians, and the Hebrews all had gods that they interacted with. Understanding the likenesses and differences in how these people interacted with their gods might give us an insight to how similar or different