January 24, 2016

New Research on the Maya Collapse

University of Arizona archaeologist Takeshi Inomata and his team, working at the Maya site of Ceibal in Guatemala (1000 BCE-950 CE), have found evidence of two collapses at the site. They have compared ceramics at the site with radio-carbon dates to form a precise history of the site. They found a collapse happened around 150-300 CE and a second collapse at 800-950 CE. They found that violent warfare intensified at 75 BCE-735 CE. These conflicts led to unrest and disintegration across the Maya lowlands during this time. After the first collapse, centralized power increased with strong dynasties based on divine rulership. The second collapse saw decentralization and more seaborne trade. The research will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Journal.
The report is published here;
https://uanews.arizona.edu/story/archaeologists-uncover-new-clues-maya-collapse

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