Buy this book with The Fall of the Ancient Maya: Solving the Mystery of the Maya Collapse by David L. Webster today!

Buy Together Today: $57.45

Ancient Maya: The Rise and Fall of a Rainforest Civilization (Case Studies in Early Societies) by Arthur Demarest  (1)  $25.19

The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives by Heather McKillop  (1)  $15.61

The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein  (207)  $18.48

The Ancient Maya, 6th Edition by Robert Sharer  (14)  $29.50

› Explore similar items : Books (5)

Product Description
This innovative study argues that the collapse of Classic Maya civilization was driven by catastrophic drought. Between A.D. 800 and 1000, unrelenting drought killed millions of Maya people with famine and thirst and initiated a cascade of internal collapses that destroyed their civilization. Linking global, regional, and local climate change, the author explores how atmospheric processes, volcanism, ocean currents, and other natural forces combined to create the dry climate that pried apart the highly complex civilization in the tropical Maya Lowlands in the ninth and tenth centuries.

Drawing on knowledge of other prehistoric and historic droughts, The Great Maya Droughts is a useful study of the relationship of humans to their natural and physical environment. The author tries to understand why the Classic Maya failed to adjust their behavior and culture to the climatic conditions and why civilizations in general sometimes collapse in the face of radical environmental change.

About the Author
Richardson B. Gill is a businessman and archaeologist who lives in San Antonio, Texas. He received his Ph.D. in archaeology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover