Trade Route Collapse Theory
A little bit you should know about the theory:
The trade system of Maya is very intricate, and it has been hypothesized that the tiniest issue could ruin it and cause a collapse. The trade that would have hit hardest is of that with the Teotihuacan city. The city of Teotihuacan was known to have fallen between 700 and 750 AD. This was believed to force everyone else to "restructure" themselves economically. This would have added a bit longer time to the existence of Maya. The Teotihuacans were influencing hardest in the 4th/5th centuries. They lost power. The tables have turned, and now, Teotihuacan might have been abandoned as early as 600 AD. Mayans were prepared for more, but this theory says they dealt with otherwise. It isn't necessarily at the top of the most-likely list, though. |