A major Mayan city by the name of Chactun was discovered in
Yacatan Mexico. Filled with Mayan architecture and artifacts the cities complex
exists on 54 acres. Through thick vegetation and 10 days of chopping at jungle foliage
the researchers finally made their way to the large city that contained
somewhere around 40,000 people during the Late Mayan Classical Period (600AD to
900AD).
Using aerial photos and then following up on the ancient
paths used by loggers and rubber makers the scientists were able to make their
way into the jungle. The area was previously unmapped and generally untouched
by human hands except for a few small time workers in the area. There was no
evidence from other Mayan artifacts that this large city existed.
As of present, the writings and all of the structures have
not been identified. However, the
researchers did find alters, temples, ball courts, palaces, and storage
facilities. According to Sprajc, “We
realized, with big surprise, that the site was even larger than we had
expected. What impressed us most were the volumes of the buildings — they are
not extremely high, but very massive,”(Discovery, 2013).
It is believed that some later people reused the site and
didn’t understand what the symbols really meant. They did understand that the
monuments were very important and spiritual. They found ceramics and other
offerings indicating that the newer people were trying to give respect to the
religious figures. This is one of the first times discoverers have seen the recycling
of worship.
The Mayan maintained a rich culture and one of the most
developed in the world at the time. Their cultural high existed around 850 A.D.
In Europe around this time Germanic peoples caused the fall of the Western Roman
Empire and began to colonize England. If Mayan culture was allowed to grow it
may have been a unique powerhouse of the region. They developed architecture,
art, fully developed writing, astronomy, mathematics, calendars, and
administrative developments. They became an urban society supported by an
extensive agricultural system.
Around 900 C.E. the strength of the Mayan culture collapsed.
Scientists are unsure as to why this may have happened. Some argue that a drop
in water levels led to intense inter-conflict, disease, and eventual collapse
of their system. Others argued that they were invaded from a powerful outside source.
The later explanation is least likely as they were by far
the dominant civilization from the area. It is also possible that a peasant
revolt ended the culture but this again is a weak explanation as it wouldn’t
have decimated its population. Regardless, there is much we can learn from
Mayan economics and history. I have
always had an interest in developing economic theories as derived from the
Mayan system.
