Why did the Maya,Aztec, and Inca

civilizations collapse?
Transcript of Why did the Maya,Aztec, and Inca civilizations collapse?
Why did the Maya,Aztec, and Inca civilizations collapse?

Is our own civilization at risk of collapse?

The Maya
The Maya weren't an empire, but they were a civilization. One known for their extraordinary
achievements, such as the Mayan calendar. There wasn't a single factor alone, that caused the end of
the Maya civilizations.
The Aztecs
There are four factors which caused the demise of the Aztec Empire. They are the following:
Alliances
(The Conquistadors made alliances with tribes who didn't like the Aztecs.)
Weapons
(Spaniards had advanced weaponry and horses, to their advantage.)
Geography
Disease
Smallpox
The Inca empire began in 1438 and was conquered in the year 1457. The last Inca king was Atahualpa,
who was conquered and killed by Francisco Pizarro.
Why do civilizations collapse?
Unit 9 project: Mayans, Aztecs, & inca
by: elisabeth williams
The INCA

The Aztec Empire began in 1330, with the founding of Tenochtitlan. This empire was at its most high,
when Moctezuma II ruled. But, this fierce & powerful empire came to its end when Hernan Cortes
conquered the empire in 1521.
This disease was brought on the Spanish ships. Smallpox killed off almost half of the Aztec population.
This was also the disease that weakened the Incas.
Geography
The Spanish blocked Tenochtitlan's causeways, bridges, & waterways. This cut off water supply, with
lead to the death of thousands of Aztecs, because of starvation.
Weapons
The Spaniards had advanced weaponry and horses. These were things unknown to the Aztecs, which
caused fear.
Factors that caused demise of Inca Empire
Atahualpa, last Inca king, was captured & killed.
Guns/Horses gave Spanish great military advantage
Disease weakened native people.
There are many factors that could have caused the fall of the Mayas. One theory is that increased
warfare caused the end of the "Classic Maya Age". Another theory was that the region suffered from a
long dry period, & drought. This would have caused a shortage of food & water. And finally, the
demands of the Mayan kings, could have caused the people in the city-states to rebell.
Our civilization might be at risk. We here in California,(& in other states) have experienced some of the
factors that lead to the fall of these civilizations. Ebola, for example, hit the United States. But, it was
able to be controlled, and not affect other people. We also in California, are in the middle of a really bad
drought. This was a factor that caused the Mayas to fall. These are some reasons as to why our
civilization might be at risk.