why do you think the Mayan civilization came to an end?
595853
In the 8th and 9th centuries AD, Classic Maya culture went into decline, with most of the cities of the central lowlands abandoned. Warfare, ecological depletion of croplands, and drought or some combination of those factors are usually suggested as reasons for the decline. There is archaeological evidence of warfare, famine, and revolt against the elite at various central lowlands sites. There is also conclusive geological evidence, found in shells recovered from Lake Chichancanab (in modern Quintana Roo state in Mexico) by a team from the University of Florida, showing that the area suffered the worst drought in 7,000 years in the 9th century; this meteorological event is apparently connected to that of northern Europe having suffered extremely low temperatures around the same time (the same connection between drought in the Maya areas and extreme cold in northern Europe was found again at the beginning of the 20th century). This evidence seems to support Dick Gill's theory that an unusually severe drought leading to a catastrophic decimation of the population was the driving force behind the collapse of Maya civilization  However, there is no single cause universally accepted for their decline.\n\nThe Maya cities of the northern lowlands in Yucatan continued to flourish for centuries more; some of the important sites in this era were Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Edzná, and Coba. After the decline of the ruling dynasties of Chichen and Uxmal, Mayapan ruled all of Yucatan until a revolt in 1450; the area then devolved to city states until the area was conquered by the Spanish.
476432
The Mayans were a pre-Colombian civilization.\nYou can go to the site below and type in text from just about any language and it will translate for you.
860418
it depends, because it is such a porfound, specific idea to see amoungst the planets. i dont really think that most astrologers know the specific aspects that would lead to the end of the world.\n\nthe mayans seem to think it was in the year of 2012, but they couldnt even predict the end of their own civilization. but yes they did it by their own astrology.
94398
Mayan calendar long cycle ends on that date.\nThis just means that the Mayans (and there are so few of them) will no longer have time.  As for the rest of us?  Who knows?  Some say that humanity (or at least some humans) will "outgrow" time as a limit on that date.  Some say the "Age of Aquarius" will begin then.\nThe details behind the date can be found at the site below:
953516
some of those civilizatrions sounded rather sophisticated yet brutal...  kinda like having two ball players play and killing the losers?  The Incas Aztecs and Mayans were descendents of people who spead out from Babel after the flood\n\ninterestingly the Mayan Calender goes back to roughly 56 years shorter than the 4004BC calender of Bishop Ussher. Sounds familiar... why might that be  having Calienders dating to the Bbilical creation on the other side of the world almost as if people spread out from Babel at one time after the flood.
306675
I don't know what time the world is supposed to end on Dec. 21, 2012, according to the Mayan calendar.  However, there appears to be some controversy about this signaling the end of the world:\n\n"The end of the 13th baktun is conjectured to have been of great significance to the Maya, but does not mark the end of the world. According to the Popol Vuh, a sacred book of the Maya, we are living in the fourth world. The Popol Vuh describes the first three creations that the gods failed in making and the creation of the successful fourth world where men were placed. The Maya believed that the fourth world would end in catastrophe and the fifth and final world would be created that would signal the end of mankind."\n\nThe last creation ended on a long count of 13.0.0.0.0. Another 13.0.0.0.0 will occur on December 21, 2012, and it has been discussed in many New Age articles and books that this will be the end of this creation or something else entirely. However, the Maya abbreviated their long counts to just the last five vigesimal places. There were an infinitely larger number of units that were usually not shown. When the larger units were shown (notably on a monument from Coba), the end of the last creation is expressed as 13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.0.0.0.0, where the units are obviously supposed to be 13s in all larger places. In this age we are only approaching 0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.13.0.0.0.0, and the larger places are nowhere near the 13s that would match the end of the last creation. (Schele and Friedel 1990: 430)\n\nThis is confirmed by a date from Palenque, which projects forward in time to 1.0.0.0.0.0, which will occur on 13 October, 4772. The Classic Period Maya obviously did not believe that the end of this age would occur in 2012. According to the Maya, there will be a baktun ending in 2012, a significant event being the end of a 13th 400 year period, but not the end of the world.
1052781
The Egyptian, Sumerian and the other early civilizations are considered to have collapsed and to have died and were absorbed into other civilizations unlike the Chinese civilization which is the last of the ancients that is still active as such. Some may consider the end of the monarchy of China to be an end; but not so. It is still a separate and existing continous state whereas Egypt had been absorbed into the Roman Empire then later by the Arabs in 642 AD. This totally changed Egyptian civilization and so went the vestiges of the Ancient Egyptian way of life .\n\nArchaeologists Revise Age of China's Civilization \n\nA group of Chinese archaeologists --revising the orthodox theory that China's civilization originated 5,000 years -- believe the nation's roots can be traced back 8,000 to 10,000 years. \n\nThey have unearthed China's earliest painting, writing, colored pottery, crop seed strain specimen and buildings showing the development from a rural to an urban society at Dadiwan Ruins in northwest China's Gansu province. \n\nThese early cultural relics, so far unrecorded in any historical book, belong to five ancient periods dating back to 8,000 years ago. \n\nProf. Li Xueqin, the prestigious researcher on the ancient history of China, said the discovery at Dadiwan Ruins suggested that the origins of China's civilization could be far earlier than the Shang Dynasty (16th to 11th century B.C.) and even the Xia Dynasty (2200 B.C. - 1700 B.C.). \n\nResearch findings at the Jinsha Ruins (or the ruin by the Jinsha river, one upstream tributary of China's longest Yangtze river) in southwestern Sichuan province, the 5,000-year-old Liangzhu Culture in east China's Zhejiang province and a number of other sites have yielded evidence showing they pre-existed the Xia Dynasty, the oldest period of China's recorded history. \n\nShi Shi, director of the Chinese Nationalities History Research Institute, noted that as early as 1997 that Chinese history could stretch back 10,000 years instead of the generally accepted 5,000 years. \n\nWithin the confinement of limited knowledge and historical data from that period, Si Maqian, a world-renowned ancient historian, set forth a theory in his book "Record of the Historian" that the Chinese civilization began with Huang Di and Yan Di, two most revered, brilliant legendary ancestors of the Chinese nation. His theory was later accepted by other scholars and experts in the ensuing historical periods and handed down to this very day, Shi said. \n\nNew archaeological, anthropological and folklore discoveries, nevertheless, indicate that the roots of the Chinese civilization started before Huang Di, he added. \n\nWang Wei, deputy director of the Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, "The invaluable cultural objects unearthed at the Dadiwan Ruins reflect the prehistoric cultural development on the upper reaches of the Yellow River, which had long been dubbed as the cradle of the Chinese civilization. They form a complete cultural chain in our research of the period 8,000 to 5,000 years ago." \n\nArchaeologists in China have excavated more than 200 colored pottery items dating back 8,000 years, believed to be the earliest of their kind ever found in China. \n\nThis latest discovery proves the country's pottery are as old as that found in other ancient countries and rejected and gave a lie to the conclusion that pottery manufacture in China was introduced from the West. \n\nThe archaeologists also excavated a unique, ancient village site comprising 240 houses with a combined floor space of some 500,000 square meters, which were classified into three grades, respectively for the chieftain, clan leaders and ordinary members. It contains a 420-square-meter hall for holding sacrificial rites and other ceremonial public events and activities. \n\nIt shows the evidence of evolution to urban development and a higher
271236
almost everything they were an old civilization but they were smart they built pyrimids simular to the ones in guiza makes you wonder what happened 2 them conisidering they are the only anchient civilization in mexico that was taken over by conquesdadoors they just dissapeered. one thing that is especialy weird is they built roads linking thier collines for lack of a beter term even thier religion is far mor advanced then christiananity because they read so far into everything they were very into deatails. They even made balls but they were made out of sacrificed humans sculls after the goods feasted.
445169
Nobody knows for certain since it was so long ago.  Some historians believe that environmental changes may have been responsible for this move, with certain important rivers changing course. However, there is also some evidence suggestive of an invasion and destruction of Olmec artifacts around this time.  So, take from that what you will.
1074471
The story about the world ending in 2012 came about because the Mayan calendar ended on 2012.  But there wasn't any true significance behind their choice of ending it on 2012 as far as we can tell--they simply ran out of room when they were carving it.\n\nIn the Bible it basically says that no one will know when the end of the world will be.  And really, would you even want to know?  We should really be living EVERY day as if it were our last.  Tell your crush you like him/her, call up an old friend, say something nice to your neighbor, go see that movie you've been dying to watch--do all the things you would do if you knew today was going to be your last day on Earth.\n\nBecause it very well could be.
513904
It is NOT the end of their "time records" --their Long Count calendar is rolling over from 12 Baktuns to 13 Baktuns, not unlike our calendar going from 1999 to 2000, except that a Baktun is 400 years long.\n\nOn the date 13.00.00.00.00, which is 12-21-2012, this is what WILL happen (there's no "expect" about it): There will be an astrological alignment between the sun and the dark area of the Milky Way at dawn.  This alignment will not take place again for thousands of years.  The Maya believed that the dark area of the Milky Way was the birth canal of the universe so therefore, when the sun came up out of the dark area, it was being reborn.  \n\nA lot of people have interpreted that to mean that it's the end of the world.  Actually it's the beginning of a new one.  This world's already dead--that's why it's so awful right now.\n\n\nRead "Maya Cosmogenesis 2012" by John Major Jenkins for a lot more on this subject. Read my 2012 article on my Jaguar Nights blog for other information on that day.
765974
You mean when the Mayan calendar ends?\nNo, there's no need to prepare for it.\nWhat makes you think people that lived thousands of years ago, only knew about a few hundred square miles around them (didn't know the rest of the world existed), and believed in superstition and made-up gods knew anything about "the end of the world?"  Have you ever thought that maybe that was as high as they could count?  Hmm?\n\nBesides, what their calendar actually says is that the end of their calendar marks the beginning of a transition from one world era to another -- not that the world will end.  There's a somewhat dubious link that describes it below...but ignore all the astronomical gobbledegook in that article, the astronomy assumptions (like the sun intersecting the milky way or the galaxy "lying" on the earth) are completely wrong :(
657077
Many people believe that the world will end in the near future. I do not think there is too much proof, though going back into history the Mayans who demonstrated having advanced mathematical/astronomical knowledge, (derived from ALIENS?) their calender stopped in the year 2012. As for crop circles they are suggested to be communication methods from visitors as well as a message from Earth itself as Earth is a living organism
1125866
I am writing this from personal knowledge and research--not cut and pasting it from some other site.\nThere are many different Mayan calendars, but the one you are talking about is the "Long Count" which doesn't end, as popularly thought, on 12-21-2012 (not 12-12-2012).  What happens is on that date the calendar rolls over from 12 Baktuns to 13 Baktuns (a Baktun is about 400 years long).  So technically the 12th Baktun ends 12-20-2012.\nOn 12-21-2012, there is also a grand astronomical alignment between the sun, the horizon and the milky way at dawn.  The sun will rise against the dark area of the milky way which the Maya thought of as the birth canal of the universe.  Actually that area is very close to the center of the galaxy (where stars are born).  When the sun comes out of the birth canal...it's (re)born, signifying the start of a new world age.  \nThis does NOT mean our old world ends at that moment. In fact it's already over and has been for years.\nRead "Maya Cosmogenesis 2012" by John Major Jenkins for a lot more on this subject. Read my 2012 article on my Jaguar Nights blog or my regular website for other information on that day.
734779
you would probably find the answers either on google.com or ask.com cosmeo.com is also good but you have to sign up for it.\ni only know some of the answers.\n\n1. the major crops were maize (corn), beans, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables.\n2. they had irrigation.\n3. the mayan culture flourished at about a.d. 300\n4. i'm not exactly sure what was the capital but the largest mayan city was Tikal.\n5. the mayans exchanged their crops for cotton cloth, pottery, deer meat, and salt.\n6. around a.d. 900, the mayan civilization began to decline. at about a.d. 1100 the mayan cities were like ghost towns. no one exactly knows what caused the decline. maybe slaves and farmers revolted against their mayan masters or maybe the soil became too exhausted by erosion and fire to produce enough food for people. even thought the mayana civilization collapsed, descendants of the maya still live in parts os mexico and central america.
681147
ummm people will die, people will be born. There will be an election in the US and probably several other countries. There will be hurricanes, earthquakes, floods. There will also be a bunch of new TV shows, and some guy will win the lottery. Basically it is going to be the same as every other year.\n\nNow if you are referring to the fact that it is the end of the Mayan calendar, and several freaks out there are predicting the end of the world, well don't worry. They have never been right yet. And what did they Mayans know, if they were so smart they would still be around.\nRemember all the people that said the year 2000 was going to be a big disaster? guess what... nothing.\nSame thing different calendar. \n\nNow go out and enjoy what time you have left.... heh.
460073
New agers and doom-sayers have lacthed on to this year as "the end of the world" because it is the roll-over year of the Mayan long-count calender.  Think about how your car's odometer works.  Yoiu hit 100,000 miles and it rolls over to zero.  Why did it roll over to zero?  Did the old car end, and anew car begin?  No.  All that happened is that you ran out of  numbers to count how many miles your car has driven, and thus you rolled-over and had to start counting with zero again.\n\nThis is exactly what happens to the Mayan calender in 2012, it runs out of numbers to count the days and must start over.  As far as some of the nuttier theories out there the Mayan's had no concept of a "black hole," allignments of the visible planets happen on almost 200 year cycles, Nostrdamus never gave any dates for his rantings, and the aliens don't have a magic clock.  The Mayans were facinated by the planet Venus on the othe hand and the cycles of Venus are partially what they based several of their calenders off of.