What Maya Collapse?

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Course Learning Objectives #1 and #2: In this assignment you will scrutinize multiple sources of evidence to explain and evaluate theories of the Maya Collapse. Instructions: Step 1: Read the two articles listed below. Look for connections with the Maya Collapse powerpoints. McAnany, Patricia A. and Norman Yofee. 2012. Why We Question Collapse and Study Human Resilience, Ecological Vulnerability, and the Aftermath of Empire, edited by P. A. McAnany and N. Yoffee, pp. 1-17. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Preview the document Webster, David, 2012. The Classic Maya Collapse. In The Oxford Handbook of Mesoamerican Archaeology, edited by Deborah L. Nichols and Christopher A. Pool, pp. 324-334. Oxford University Press, New York.Preview the document   Step 2: View relevant parts of the video The Splendid Murals of Bonampak, Mexico, Prof Mary Miller (Links to an external site.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDudtA1nVa4 This video is 58 minutes long and presents the entire history of discovery, restoration (by Heather Hurst who also restored the San Bartolo murals), and interpretation of the three rooms of the Bonampak royal palace that contain them. Room 1 is about the royal family and its activities, and Room 2 is about Bonampak’s battle with Yaxchilan (the King of Yaxchilan, Shield Jaguar, is an important actor; see also the BBC podcast where he also appears). Room 3 shows the aftermath of the battle. At time stamp 25, Prof. Miller begins the discussion of the murals of Room 1. At time stamp 40, Prof. Miller begins the discussion of the murals of Room 2. At time stamp 51, Prof. Miller begins the discussion of the murals of Room 3. What stories are told about Bonampak’s warfare? Is the elite narrative of Maya warfare and victory over one’s foes an accurate representation of Maya warfare and conquest?  Who has been erased from the narrative? What other evidence might archaeologists use to develop a more holistic picture of Maya warfare?   Step 3: Write a brief reflection (500 words). Was the Maya collapse a pan-Maya catastrophe? Is collapse just another word for social failure? What are the major causes of the Maya collapse? Was climate change involved? Was it a change in the scale of Maya warfare?    View the rubric for this assignment by clicking the three dots in the top right-hand corner of the assignment. Prepare your response as a separate word file to upload. You have one attempt for this assignment. Please note that Turn it In is running in the background. Write in your own words and properly cite your sources.     Resources McAnany, Patricia A. and Norman Yofee. 2012. Why We Question Collapse and Study Human Resilience, Ecological Vulnerability, and the Aftermath of Empire, edited by P. A. McAnany and N. Yoffee, pp. 1-17. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Preview the document Webster, David, 2012. The Classic Maya Collapse. In The Oxford Handbook of Mesoamerican Archaeology, edited by Deborah L. Nichols and Christopher A. Pool, pp. 324-334. Oxford University Press, New York.Preview the document   Evans, Susan Toby 2013 Ancient Mexico and Central America: Archaeology and Culture History, third edition. Thames and Hudson, London and New York. Chapters 11-12.