The Maya And Climate Change: Human-Environmental Relationships In The Classic Period Lowlands

The Maya And Climate Change: Human-Environmental Relationships In The Classic Period Lowlands

AIA Society: Eugene
Lecturer: Kenneth E. Seligson

The Classic Maya civilization (200-950 CE), faced many environmental challenges, including those wrought by climate change. Researchers today understand that the breakdown of Classic Maya society was the result of many long-term processes. Yet the story that continues to grip the public imagination is that the Maya civilization mysteriously “collapsed”. In this lecture, I draw on archaeological, environmental, and historical datasets to provide a comprehensive, yet accessible, overview of Classic Maya human-environment relationships that shifts the focus from collapse to resilience.

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