Probably the most frequently asked question about the ancient
Maya is: "Why did that great civilization collapse?" According
to the latest literature, academics no longer condone the use of
the term "collapse". We now speak of a period of "realignment"
or "restructuring". It seems that "collapse" is now politically
incorrect. God, I love academia. Call it what you will, the
evidence points to a serious shift in Maya life around 900 A.D.
The great cities and ceremonial centers were abandoned and the
jungle quickly overgrew the formidable structures and the
roadways that connected them. Maya life, based on the centuries-
old tradition of rule by an elite class came to a rather abrupt
and inglorious end. Gone forever were the kings and priests and
the elaborate ceremonies and rituals that had been the mainstay
of Maya life for hundreds of years. In seeking the cause for the
rapid (probably less than fifty years) decline of the Maya
world, scholars have considered numerous possibilities: 1. The
Maya were abducted