A great debate has been ensuing for many years over the cause of the fall of the ancient Maya. There have been many academics who have attempted to explain the collapse of the civilization with a variety of possible explanations. Some hypotheses include war, while others consider the environment as a cause. However, Archaeologists have used two well known types of theory to make their arguments. The first type of theory is known as processualism. The academics who came up with theories based on processualist thought, came up with theories that emphasized the use of the scientific method, they wanted make a testable hypothesis and considered general trends within a society or region. The second type of theory used by academics is called postprocessualism.
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If this idea were to be applied to the fall of the ancient Maya, then it would seem the ancient Maya culture was unable to adapt to the external changes that came from the invasion. According to Sabloff and Willey, the invasion, while most likely weakened the ancient Maya, threw the internal environment out of balance and that was the true cause of the collapse. Academics sought out evidence for patterns of change over a long period of time rather than looking at one specific time or event. This allows them to make a broader and general hypothesis of what …show more content…
The idea of conflict as a means for social and cultural transformation can be seen in a variety of ways, most notably in art. Many kings went through great lengths to depict themselves in war scenes (Webster 224). This could have been a way rulers established themselves as a legitimate king or to establish a new dynasty. If a new king came from a particular area, they might bring with them a new art style, which can then be observed by archaeologists now. War can also bring with change in other areas, such as in the societies literature and economics. For example, a new ruler may want to have an event told in a specific way, which may be different than a previous ruler or how another region tells the same event. In terms of economics, war can have both positive or negative affects. In some cases, war can increase the wealth of certain individuals, which in turn could change the social standing of those individuals. One the other hand, war can potentially ruin a person’s source of income, thus sending them into
If this idea were to be applied to the fall of the ancient Maya, then it would seem the ancient Maya culture was unable to adapt to the external changes that came from the invasion. According to Sabloff and Willey, the invasion, while most likely weakened the ancient Maya, threw the internal environment out of balance and that was the true cause of the collapse. Academics sought out evidence for patterns of change over a long period of time rather than looking at one specific time or event. This allows them to make a broader and general hypothesis of what …show more content…
The idea of conflict as a means for social and cultural transformation can be seen in a variety of ways, most notably in art. Many kings went through great lengths to depict themselves in war scenes (Webster 224). This could have been a way rulers established themselves as a legitimate king or to establish a new dynasty. If a new king came from a particular area, they might bring with them a new art style, which can then be observed by archaeologists now. War can also bring with change in other areas, such as in the societies literature and economics. For example, a new ruler may want to have an event told in a specific way, which may be different than a previous ruler or how another region tells the same event. In terms of economics, war can have both positive or negative affects. In some cases, war can increase the wealth of certain individuals, which in turn could change the social standing of those individuals. One the other hand, war can potentially ruin a person’s source of income, thus sending them into