Why Did Ancient Civilizations Fail?

309 Pages·2016·4.202 MB·English

by  Scott A. J. Johnson

WHY DID ANCIENT
CIVILIZATIONS FAIL?
Ideas abound as to why certain complex societies collapsed in the past,
including environmental change, subsistence failure, fluctuating social struc-
ture and lack of adaptability. Why Did Ancient Civilizations Fail? evaluates the
current theories in this important topic and discusses why they offer only par-
tial explanations of the failure of past civilizations. This engaging book offers
a new theory of collapse, that of social hubris. Through an examination of
Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Roman, Maya, Inca, and Aztec societies, Johnson
persuasively argues that hubris blinded many ancient peoples to evidence that
would allow them to adapt, and he further considers how this has implica-
tions for contemporary societies. Comprehensive and well written, this volume
serves as an ideal text for undergraduate courses on ancient complex societies,
as well as appealing to the scholar interested in societal collapse.
Scott A. J. Johnson is a Maya archaeologist who also studies ancient writing
and subsistence. Since receiving his Ph.D. in anthropology from Tulane
University in 2012, he has taught at various colleges and universities in the
United States and Canada. Johnson writes extensively on archaeological meth-
ods and the Maya, authoring Translating Maya Hieroglyphs. He is currently
the director of the Emal Archaeological Project in Yucatan and a Research
Associate at Washington University in Saint Louis.

WHY DID ANCIENT

CIVILIZATIONS FAIL?
Scott A. J. Johnson
First published 2017
by Routledge
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and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

© 2017 Taylor & Francis
The right of Scott A. J. Johnson to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
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registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this title has been requested
ISBN 978-1-62958-282-5 (hbk)
ISBN 978-1-62958-283-2 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-315-51289-1 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Swales & Willis Ltd, Exeter, Devon, UK
For Aldo Leopold, Arne Naess, and everybody who has
worked for the cause.

CONTENTS

List of Figures viii
Preface x
Acknowledgments xii
1 Introduction: Social Hubris 1
2 Why Agriculture? 10
3 The Environment 29
4 Case Study: The Maya 46
5 Agricultural Systems 65
6 Case Study: Mesopotamia 86
7 Trade Systems 107
8 Case Study: Rome 125
9 Social Organization 147
10 Case Study: Egypt 165
11 Unexpected Catastrophes 189
12 Case Study: Aztecs and Incas 211
13 Where We Are Today 235
References 265
Index 290
FIGURES

2.1 System Map 23
3.1 Earth’s Tilt and Orbit 31
3.2 Atmospheric and Ocean “Conveyor Belts” 38
3.3 The Carbon Cycle 41
3.4 Global Precipitation, Temperature, and Complex Culture 43
4.1 Maya Sites and Waterways 48
4.2 Maya Area Precipitation and Elevation 49
4.3 Maya Cultural Timeline 51
4.4 Social Cycle 61
5.1 Water-Lifting Devices 71
6.1 Mesopotamian Sites and Waterways 88
6.2 Mesopotamian Area Precipitation and Elevation 89
6.3 Mesopotamian Cultural Timeline 90
7.1 Types of Trade 111
8.1 Roman Sites and Waterways 127
8.2 Roman Area Precipitation and Elevation 128
8.3 Roman Cultural Timeline 130
8.4 Trade Routes 139
10.1 Egyptian Sites and Waterways 166
10.2 Egyptian Area Precipitation and Elevation 168
10.3 Egyptian Cultural Timeline 169
11.1 Resilience and Stability 207
12.1 Aztec Sites and Waterways 212
12.2 Aztec Area Precipitation and Elevation 213
12.3 Aztec Cultural Timeline 215
12.4 Inca Sites and Waterways 219
Figures ix
12.5 Inca Area Precipitation and Elevation 220
12.6 Inca Cultural Timeline 222
13.1 Global Vegetation Zones and Climate Change 241
13.2 Solar Radiation by Latitude 242
13.3 Nutrient Cycles 246