Essay Instructions: the research paper should be no fewer than 10 pages in length and make use of at least 10 peer-reviewed sources not covered in class, along with any assigned readings relevant to the subject.
I have only found 6 sources please use 4 more from reliable sites.
Research Paper Proposal
In the Late Pre-classic Period, a number of environmental changes took place in the Mayan Lowlands. Prevalent environmental degradation at the time led to a sudden decline of the civilization, which led a number of political and social implications in the region. Both anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic causes fronted this decline leading to a collapse of major urban centers. The climatic variability of the region has held a great significance on further development of the Lowlands, a topic my research paper wishes to explore.
In my research paper, I will aim to study the causes- both natural and man-made factors that led to environmental degradation. It will target scientific, methodological evidence to concur the devastation of the environment and its implications. The paper will aim to seek out reasons that led to the degradation and ultimate collapse of the civilization.
Furthermore, the paper will seek to establish the social and political changes, which were causations of the environmental collapse. An unsustainable region led people to abandon their homes and find new places to live. This led to a shift in settlements and an alteration in urban hierarchy. The paper will map out the changes in urban settlement, and draw out the societal, cultural and political implications that this had on the structure and construction of urban centers in the Mayan Lowlands. The paper will hope to chart out the socio-political complexities that the change in townships led to.
Using the sources stated below, the ultimate aim of the paper is to chart out the ill-effects of anthropogenic and natural causes that led to the major environmental damage in the Mayan Lowlands; forcing people to move in to newer regions, altering an already established socio-political structure to give way to a new one. The paper will chalk out the implications and consequences of the climatic changes on the people of Mayan Lowlands.
Bibliography:
1. Nicholas P. Dunning, Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach, Timothy Beach, John G. Jones, Vernon Scarborough, and T. Patrick Culbert; ?Arising from the Bajos: The Evolution of a Neotropical Landscape and the Rise of Maya Civilization?, 2002
2. Richard D. Hansen, Steven Bozarth, John Jacob, David Wahl, and Thomas Schreiner, ?Climatic and Environmental Variability In The Rise Of Mayan Civilization: A Preliminary Perspective From Northern Peten?, Ancient Mesoamerica, Cambridge University Press 2002
3. T. Beach, N. Dunning, S. Luzzadder-Beach, D.E. Cook, J. Lohse, ?Impacts of the ancient Maya on soils and soil erosion in the central Maya Lowland?, Catena, Volume 65, Issue 2, February 2006
4. David Freidel and Justine Shaw, ?The Lowland Maya Civilization: Historical Consciousness and Environment?, The Way The Wind Blows: Climate, History and Human Action, Columbia University Press, 2000 5. Douglas J. Kennett, Sebastian F. M. Breitenbach, Valorie V. Aquino, Yemane Asmerom, Jaime Awe, James U.L. Baldini, Patrick Bartlein, Brendan J. Culleton, Claire Ebert, Christopher Jazwa, Martha J. Macri, Norbert Marwan, Victor Polyak, Keith M. Prufer, Harriet E. Ridley, Harald Sodemann, Bruce Winterhalder, Gerald H. Haug, ?Development and Disintegration of Maya Political Systems in Response to Climate Change?, Science 9, Volume 338, November 2012
6. James J. Aimers, ?What Maya Collapse? Terminal Classic Variation in the Maya Lowlands?, 2007
(Friedal and Shaw) http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=CTL1DskF3TsC&oi=fnd&pg=PA271&dq=The+Lowland+Maya+Civilization:+Historical+Consciousness+and+Environment?&ots=vwaapSi1UB&sig=LoE2-JD1A1aD6O6IiPN5J2KLvlQ#v=onepage&q=The%20Lowland%20Maya%20Civilization%3A%20Historical%20Consciousness%20and%20Environment?&f=false