Maya Archaeology – Notes 8 of 13

Discussion of Warfare around Early Classic Period:

Evidence of warfare during this period includes large walls surrounding cities, evidence of damage to buildings, weapons, and iconography depicting warfare.

Legitimate Power and Authority. A shift in political, social, economic and religious dynamics. This changed authoritative control of cities where some cities were allowed to crumble while those cities able to maintain during this tumultuous period stayed intact.

This theory regarding warfare explains how some Mesoamerican cities during this period vanished while others remained.

Maya scholar Weber discussed that leader of cities died during these points of crisis were often killed. This highlights the need for lines of succession with an authoritative structure put in place to keep to hand down power from generation to generation.

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