The Rise and Fall of the Mayan Empire (study using satellite imagery)

[Dover]

The Rise and Fall of the Mayan Empire

Scientists are using space satellites to unravel one of the great mysteries of the ancient world.

November 15, 2004: Where the rain forests of Guatemala now stand, a great civilization once flourished. The people of Mayan society built vast cities, ornate temples, and towering pyramids. At its peak around 900 A.D., the population numbered 500 people per square mile in rural areas, and more than 2,000 people per square mile in the cities -- comparable to modern Los Angeles County.

This vibrant "Classic Period" of Mayan civilization thrived for six centuries. Then, for some reason, it collapsed.

The fall of the Maya has long been one of the great mysteries of the ancient world. But it's more than a historical curiosity. Within sight of the Mayan ruins, in the Petén region of Guatemala near the border with Mexico, the population is growing again, and rain forest is being cut to make farmland.

"By learning what the Maya did right and what they did wrong, maybe we can help local people find sustainable ways to farm the land while stopping short of the excesses that doomed the Maya," says Tom Sever at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)....cont'd

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/15nov_maya.htm?list955975

[yardwork]

1. It would be wise for us to study the rise and fall of empire in general

because we may be headed for a big fall.

[pnutchuck]

2. Their last leaders were Republican

They sacrificed all the free thinkers and sent the rest off to war, while outsourcing their jobs to neighboring civilizations, eventually causing the starvation and civil unrest within their own. In the end, they scattered to the winds looking for food and work.

[GATOR MONROE]

3. AZTLAN was real

and trade routes went to red paint people in northeast,yana in nor-cal, upper 4 corners and south to yucatan and beyond. new world was old 20.000 years ago before ice.

[Dogmudgeon]

4. The Mayas were much later

Their civilization came and went between about 1500 BCE and 1000 CE.

They were certainly a major civilization, but not that ancient.

Of course, there are many poorly-researched but tantalizing clues about highly skilled cultures that predate even Jericho and Çatal Huyük in Turkey (8000 years ago). But not Mayan.

--bkl

[GATOR MONROE]

5. bare knuckle ladies ? MY POST DID NOT MENTION MAYANS...

RED PAINT PEOPLE 10.000 YEARS AGO PLUS, YANA150 YEARS TO7500 YEARS AGO,UPPER 4 CORNERS 1000 TO3500 YEARS AGO AND OTHERS MUCH OLDER WILL BE FOUND.

[Dogmudgeon]

6. No, but the original post DID mention Mayans

And if you've read any of my other posts on physical anthro and archeology, you'll notice that I'm a strong proponant of theories of early human culture.

Here's an introduction to the Archaic Maritime culture(s) such as pre-Columbian America's Red Paint People.

And keep the rage under control, pal, especially the "clever" misuse of peoples' names and the OVERUSE OF SCREAMING CAPITAL LETTERS. Read this for more details.

--bkl