The use of “collapse” or “failure” of a civilization is somewhat misleading. Civilizations never “die” as they are “a complex configuration of institutions built upon a foundation of shared religious, political, and economic ideas and concepts” (Demarest, 2004). Even with catastrophic events and declines, the elements of a civilization can continue and transform into a new configuration. The western part of the Roman Empire is a good example. It declined over several centuries with periods of revitalization, breaking up into Gothic kingdoms or states that maintained many institutions of ancient Rome. The eastern Roman Empire continued under Byzantium and flourished. Even though the somewhat colorful terms, collapse and failure, are used herein, there is no implication that these civilizations “died.”
The Indus Valley civilization (3000-1500 B. C.) is thought to have collapsed because the Indus River shifted its course and the continued salinization. Mohenjo Daro in the Indus Valley (Pakistan) declined after 2000 B. C. possibly due to climate change, river shifts, and water resources management problems. Droughts possibly caused or attributed to the collapse of the Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia around 2170 B. C. The Minoan civilizations declined, possibly due to an earthquake disrupting the water supply. Petra, the Nabataean civilization capital in southwestern Jordan, collapsed as a result of the disruption of the elaborate water supply system caused by an earthquake in May of A. D. 363. The Romans and other ancient civilizations in the Mediterranean region are discussed later in this chapter.
Several ancient civilizations in Mesoamerica and the southwestern United States also failed and collapsed. Teotihuacan (city of the Gods), Mexico was abandoned mysteriously around A. D. 600 to 700. Teotihuacan was a very impressive civilization which evolved about 40 km north of Mexico City about the same time as Rome. During this time the collapse of civilized life occurred in most of central Mexico. One possible cause was the erosion and desiccation of the region resulting from the destruction of the surrounding forests that were used for the burning of the lime that went into the building of Teotihuacan. The increasing aridity of the climate in Mexico may have been a related factor. The entire edifice of the Teotihuacan state may have perished from the loss of agriculture. Even though the city had no outer defensive walls, it was not an open city easy for hostile outsiders to attack. The collapse of Teotihuacan opened civilized Mexico to nomadic tribes from the north. Human malnourishment has been indicated from skeletal remains. The col-lapse/abandonment of Xochicalco, most likely, resulted from drought, warfare, and internal political struggles.
Crisis overtook all the classic civilizations of Mesoamerica (including the Mayans), forcing the abandonment of most of the cities. Some anthropologists believe the crisis may have been a lessening of the food supply caused by a drying out of the land and a loss of water sources to the area. Speculation is that in some areas this might have been caused by a climatic shift toward aridness, particularly in the Puuc centers of western Yucatan (Hoddell et al., 1995; Robichaux, 2002). These included Uxmal, Sayil, Labna, and Kabah. It may have happened all over Mexico during the classic period when the deforestation of the valley occurred. Originally there were cedar, cypress, pine, and oak forests; today there are cactus, yucca, agave, and California pepper trees. Such a change in vegetation indicates a significant climate shift.
Other Mesoamerica civilizations that failed and collapsed include the Mayans discussed below. Ancient civilizations in the southwestern United States that failed and collapsed include the Hohokam (300 B. C.-A. D. 1450) and the Chaco Anasazi (A. D. 600-1200) discussed below. The collapse of the Moche IV civilization on the Peruvian coast around A. D. 600; and the collapse of the Tiwanaka civilization in the Andes around A. D. 1100 are two other civilizations in South America.
World History
