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The Fall of Chichen Itza: A Preliminary Hypothesis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Anthony P. Andrews
Anthony P. Andrews*
Affiliation:
Division of Social Sciences, New College of the University of South Florida, Sarasota, FL 34243
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Abstract

The fall of the Early Postclassic capital of Chichen Itza is generally described in native chronicles as the result of a widespread revolt of native Yucatec Maya against the Itzá rulers of northern Yucatan. This historic event was the outcome of complex social, economic, and ecological processes that ultimately led to the weakening and dissolution of the Itzá polity. The historic legends that trace the fall of the Itzá are a superficial manifestation of deeper problems, which likely included tense relations with subjugated peoples, excess economic and human tribute, overpopulation, scarcities of land and agricultural resources, and possible climatological changes resulting in drought. The Itzá economy was linked to all these processes, but as they primarily were focused on the exploitation of coastal resources and long-distance trade, they failed to establish a viable economic system in the interior. This failure, coupled with the overexploitation of a declining social and economic resource base, led to the Itzá collapse. This essay presents a preliminary discussion of these processes.

La caída de la capital de Chichén Itzá en el Postclásico Temprano es comúnmente descrita en las fuentes indígenas como el resultado de una sublevación regional en contra del liderazgo itzá del norte de Yucatán. Este evento histórico fue la culminación de complejos procesos sociales, económicos, y ecológicos que llevaron al debilitamiento y disolución del estado itzá. Las leyendas históricas que trazan la caída de los itzá resultan ser una manifestación superficial de problemas más serios, que incluyen relaciones problemáticas con los pueblos subyugados, exceso de tributo económico y humano, sobrepoblación, escasez de tierra y recursos agrícolas, y posibles perturbaciones climatológicas acompañadas de sequías. La economía itzá estaba ligada a estos procesos; dependientes en gran parte de recursos costeros y comercio con el exterior, los itzaes no lograron imponer un nuevo orden económico viable en el interior. Esta falla, unida a la sobreexplotación de los menguados recursos sociales y económicos, llevó al colapso itzá. Este ensayo presenta una discusión preliminar de estos procesos.

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Articles
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Latin American Antiquity , Volume 1 , Issue 3 , September 1990, pp. 258 - 267
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 1990

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