The Maya: Ruins Among the Trees | Fall of Civilizations

The abandoned monumental centres of the Classic Maya invite a deceptively simple question: why did people leave? Fall of Civilizations explores the growth of Maya society and the pressures behind the decline of important cities, with the landscape and architecture helping to carry the story.

Original video: 3. The Mayans – Ruins Among the Trees — Fall of Civilizations · 1:08:38 · YouTube upload: 2020-04-09. Video and preview image belong to the original creator.

Why watch this video?

Keep one distinction in mind while watching: the decline of Classic-period kingdoms was not the disappearance of the Maya people. Maya communities, languages and traditions continue today. The episode works best as an introduction to changes in particular political and urban systems, rather than a tale of an entire people vanishing into the forest.

Continue exploring: Caracol Maya Tomb: The Evidence for Te’ Kab Chaak.