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More than 80 different theories or variations of theories attempting to explain the Classic Maya collapse have been identified. [12] From climate change to deforestation to lack of action by Maya kings, there is no universally accepted collapse theory, although drought has gained momentum in the first quarter of the 21st century as the leading explanation, as more scientific studies are conducted.
In the 9th century, there was a widespread political collapse in the central Maya region, resulting in civil wars, the abandonment of cities, and a northward shift of population. The Postclassic period saw the rise of Chichen Itza in the north, and the expansion of the aggressive Kʼicheʼ kingdom in the Guatemalan Highlands
The history of Maya civilization is divided into three principal periods: the Preclassic, Classic and Postclassic periods; [1] these were preceded by the Archaic Period, which saw the first settled villages and early developments in agriculture. [2]
As the Classic Maya collapse swept across the Maya region, city after city ceased to erect stelae recording its dynastic achievements. [113] At the important city of Calakmul, two stelae were raised in 800 and three more in 810, but these were the last and the city fell into silence. [120] At Oxkintok the last stela was raised in 859. [121]
The "Preclassic collapse" refers to the systematic decline and abandoning of the major Preclassic cities such as El Mirador around 100 AD. [6] A number of theories have been proposed to explain this collapse, but there is as little consensus here as there is for the causes of the more famous collapse leading to the Postclassic period.
Maya architecture can be identified, depending on the region and the corresponding period, into different styles. The regional architectural styles have unique characteristics, features and elements that show diverse social and political aspects of the different regions and history periods of the Maya civilization.
Temple 20 (or Temple XX) is a pyramidal building, dated to between AD 430 and 600 (Early Classic period), located at the Maya city of Palenque in the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico with a funerary chamber that contains remains of a high ranking character. [1]
Copán: The History of an Ancient Maya Kingdom. Santa Fe and Oxford: School of American Research Press and James Currey Ltd. pp. 3– 32. ISBN 978-0-85255-981-9. OCLC 56194789. Gill, Richardson B. (2000). The Great Maya Droughts: Water, Life, and Death. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 978-0-8263-2194-7. OCLC 43567384.