CSI: Copan
The Fall of the Classic Maya
The Maya who lived in Central America built the most
advanced civilization in the western hemisphere. During what
is known as the Classic Age they developed writing and
technology that their neighbors wouldn’t create for hundreds of
years. Then, they disappeared. Mysteriously the Mayans left
their glorious cities. What could possibly make thousands of
people give up on the world they had created over hundreds of years? Today you will
attempt to find out.
Instructions:
I. At each station read and examine the provided evidence. Write a short summary
of the evidence and list any information it gives you about the fall of the Maya or
how quickly it may have happened.
II. You will have approximately 3 minutes at each station and you will then move to
the next. You must work quickly.
III. After you have completed all the stations answer the questions below.
WARNING: Some pieces of evidence seem to go against each other so, you will
need to decide which you trust more. If you answer questions as you go you may
find yourself doubting your own answer. Wait until you are finished!
Questions: (Answer in complete sentences on your own paper)
1. Do you think the fall of the Maya happened quickly or over a long period of time?
Why?
2. Do you think most of the Maya were killed or did they just leave? Why?
3. What do you think caused the fall of the Maya? Why?
Exhibit 1
CSI: Copan Detectives Notes
Exhibit 2
Exhibit 3
Exhibit 4
Exhibit 5
Exhibit 6
Exhibit 7
Directions: Write a short
summary of the evidence found
at each station, and list any
information it gives you about
the fall of the Maya or how
quickly it may have happened.
Exhibit 1Testimony by special agent Fox Mulder, FBI.
It is well known that the Mayans for some reason that is not completely clear formed
their heads into a cone shape. It has been argued that this was done to make their heads
look like a piece of corn. First of all, by examining the skull you will notice that their
heads are more rounded than corn-like. Secondly, this would not explain why the Mayans
also liked crossed-eyes. No piece of corn I’ve ever seen had crossed eyes. Finally, it is
known that the Mayans’ survival was dependent on corn. If the Mayans did not have
corn to eat they never could have built their civilization to the size that they did. Why
would the Mayans want to look like their main food?
I believe that the idea of “corn heads” was completely made up by the government to
cover up the real reason the Mayans flattened their heads. It is clear to me that the
Mayans were attempting to make themselves look like aliens from another planet. I will
show in later testimony that the Mayans were visited on multiple occasions by aliens who
then destroyed the Mayan society.
Exhibit 2Testimony by special agent Fox Mulder, FBI.
The accuracy of the Maya calendar proves beyond any doubt that aliens visited the Maya.
The Maya calendar was the most accurate calendar in world history up until the last 100
years. It is impossible to believe that 1,000 years ago the Maya could track time as well
as scientists today. If the Maya calendar were followed today exactly as it was it would
be off by only 33 seconds! Over the course of 1,000 years to have a miscalculation of 33
seconds without the use of any computers is virtually impossible. The only logical
explanation is that the Maya had access to alien technology. This technology must have
allowed them to do this.
Additionally, it is hard to imagine an ancient civilization inventing their own writing and
number system with the complexity of the Maya systems. Using only 3 digits (compared
to the 10 we use) the Maya created a complete system of math. Clearly this idea must
have come from another world.
Exhibit 3 – Erosion Debris
Some Copán houses found near hillsides show debris from erosion. Erosion occurs when
rocks and soil (dirt) break down. The probable cause of this erosion is that people were
over-farming the hillsides. When land is farmed too often it loses most of its nutrients and
you are left with useless dirt that erodes quickly and cannot be used for farming. The
erosion seems to have begun in the mid-eighth century and to have continued for a long
time afterward. At some point, these houses were abandoned. Eventually, some houses
were completely buried by erosion debris.
Exhibit 4 – Monuments
Monuments
Maya rulers carved elaborate monuments that told stories of their ascent to the throne,
their lineage, important battles, or other events. The Maya had a sophisticated and
accurate calendar and a system of hieroglyphic writing. They dated many monuments and
included the names of kings and when they reigned. There is one unfinished monument at
Copán that can provide you with clues.
Unfinished altar
This stone monument, an altar, might have been carved for use as a throne platform for a
Maya ruler. One side was completed, but the other sides were left unfinished. On one of
these unfinished sides, the Maya text shows a date, equivalent to February 10, A.D. 822.
The remaining text was never finished. There are no known monuments at Copán dated
after A.D. 822.
Exhibit 5 – Skulls
Bones
Anemia is a problem often caused by a lack of iron in one’s diet. It is a lack of enough
red blood cells in the body that lowers the transfer of oxygen to the heart and can lead to
a heart attack.
Skull #1
Skull #2
This skull shows evidence of
severe anemia, which probably
killed this Copán citizen. The
spongy-looking areas at the
back of the skull are caused by a
lack of iron in the diet. This
person suffered from
malnutrition. 80 percent of the
skeletons found at Copán show
evidence of anemia.
This skull shows evidence that
the head was wrapped during
childhood to form it into a shape
that was pleasing to the ancient
Maya. The teeth have also been
carved into an intricate pattern,
something that was done by
Maya of the upper social
classes. Spongy-looking areas at
the back of the skull show that
this Maya noble had anemia.
Exhibit 6 –
Testimony by Dr. Gerald Haug
“There were three exceptionally severe drought events, lasting three, six, and nine years,
during which there was very little to no rainfall at all,” says Hughen. “And during an
already dry climate, even these fairly short periods of nearly zero rainfall, of absent rainy
seasons, could have pushed the Mayan civilization to the breaking point.”
The droughts occurred around 810, 860, and 910 AD, dates which correspond to the three
phases of Mayan collapse shown by archaeological evidence. The Mayan civilization
depended on a consistent rainfall cycle to support its agricultural production. Their
primary food was maize (corn), which they started growing around 2000 BC, and maize
production was their main economic activity. So scientists believe these droughts, during
which there was almost no rainfall, probably forced the Mayan civilization to the brink of
collapse by putting a strain on their resources. Some scientists also believe that the
droughts may have led people to question the power of the ruling class in Mayan society
because the established ceremonies failed to “bring back” the water during these dry
periods.
Exhibit 7 –
Testimony by Miguel Sánchez, farmer.
I live in the Copan valley very near where the Maya empire existed 1,500 years ago. We
have been farming this area for hundreds of years. Lately we have had to grow more food
every year because there are more and more people to feed. We used to farm a field only
once every two years. This gave the land time to “rest” and rebuild the nutrients. Now to
feed everyone we must farm the field every year. Every year we get less corn to grow
even though we plant the same amount of seeds!
There are about 25,000 of us living the valley today, about the same as lived at the time
of Mayan collapse. The land is good and the rains keep coming but I don’t know how
long it will last with this much farming.
Exhibit 8Cancuen Ruins and Tomb
By Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Times | November 18, 2005
Archeologists excavating the ruined Guatemalan city of Cancuén have found the
remains of what they believe is one of the pivotal events in the collapse of the Maya
civilization -- the desperate defense of the once-great trading center and the ritual
execution of at least 45 members of its royal court.
An enemy as yet unknown not only wiped out the royal dynasty about AD 800
but also systematically eliminated religious and cultural artifacts as well -- in effect,
killing the city and leaving it abandoned to the elements, researchers announced
Wednesday. After this event, cities in the western Maya lowlands in Guatemala were
abandoned, most within 20 to 30 years, the researchers said. The displaced populations
moved east and north, where they eventually depleted local resources and faded away. ''It
set off the domino of Classic Maya collapse."
The city's occupants clearly were aware of the impending disaster. Demarest and
his team found a system of hastily constructed and unfinished stone and wooden palisade
walls that showed a desperate attempt to defend Cancuén from attack. Spearheads
scattered throughout the city, abandoned construction sites, and skeletons with markings
of spear and ax wounds bear witness to the intensity of the battle and the finality of the
defeat.
The discovery ''supports Demarest's view that the Classic Maya civilization
collapsed by endemic warfare," said archeologist Heather McKillop of Louisiana State
University. ''The massacre is one of those rare events in archeology where an event is
frozen in time," she added.
Exhibit 9 –
Testimony by Profesor Emily Keen, University of California: San Diego
From A.D. 205–600, it is believed that Mayan warfare was more or less restricted to the
kings and other royals: they were kidnapped by rivals as a means of absorbing their
power as rulers. However, in the late Classic period, the Toltec people infiltrated the
Mayan territory and influenced their culture, including how the Mayan elite waged war.
Maya rulers began to involve large segments of the population in war. With entire
communities engaged in warfare, fields were left fallow and water control systems
deteriorated.
Classic Maya kings were also believed to be gods on Earth. As such, they were
responsible for bringing rain to their land and ensuring that enough food was produced.
This belief system worked well when resources were bountiful, but when they were not,
some people may have turned against their kings in anger. Others may have fled city
centers to escape their dissatisfaction. Maya leaders fought among themselves as well,
and many began wars to expand their territories. When resources were scarce, regional
centers most likely waged wars against one another to compete for food and water. The
shortage of food and water, combined with the wars between regional centers, helped to
trigger a collapse in their civilization.