Ancient Maya Walk Away
Why did the ancient Maya walk away from their cities leaving them to turn into ruins? I just watched an Emmy Award-winning DVD by Time Life called Lost Civilizations. “The Maya: The Blood of Kings” is one section among ten, which include the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, China, Rome, the Inca, Africa, the Aegean world and Tibet.
This very well-done audio-visual presentation says that the reason why the advanced ancient Mayan civilization perished is because the people lost faith in their rulers. However, although the story includes wonderful historical footage–even the discovery of the bones of Lord Pacal in Palenque–it does not adequately explain why the ancient Maya deserted their cities. They appear to have simply walked away.
