Which environmental factor is often cited as contributing to the collapse of the Maya civilization?

Which environmental factor is often cited as contributing to the collapse of the Maya civilization?

• A. Volcanic eruption
• B. Invasion
• C. Prolonged drought
• D. Overhunting

Answer: (C)

Prolonged droughts that cut rainfall are a leading factor in the Maya collapse. The Maya Lowlands depended on predictable rains for growing maize and for filling water reservoirs. When multiyear dry spells occurred, crops failed, water sources diminished, and cities faced severe food and water shortages. This environmental stress helped trigger social and political turmoil, migrations, and the abandonment of urban centers during the Terminal Classic period. While volcanic eruptions can cause short-term cooling and invasions or overhunting can pose stresses, they don’t fit the long, widespread pattern of decline as well as sustained drought does, making drought the best-supported environmental explanation for the collapse.

Prolonged droughts that cut rainfall are a leading factor in the Maya collapse. The Maya Lowlands depended on predictable rains for growing maize and for filling water reservoirs. When multiyear dry spells occurred, crops failed, water sources diminished, and cities faced severe food and water shortages. This environmental stress helped trigger social and political turmoil, migrations, and the abandonment of urban centers during the Terminal Classic period. While volcanic eruptions can cause short-term cooling and invasions or overhunting can pose stresses, they don’t fit the long, widespread pattern of decline as well as sustained drought does, making drought the best-supported environmental explanation for the collapse.