Open AccessThe Mayans: Climate determinism or geomagnetic determinism?
Author(s) -
Gallet Yves,
Genevey Agnès
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2007eo110001
Subject(s) - determinism , earth's magnetic field , civilization , environmental ethics , politics , humanity , geography , climate change , history , political science , ecology , epistemology , archaeology , law , philosophy , biology , physics , quantum mechanics , magnetic field
Climatic variations since the end of the last ice age have been large enough to influence the fate of ancient civilizations, and deciphering the exact role of climate in the history of old societies is an active and challenging domain of research [e.g., deMenocal , 2001]. This potential influence, which serves as the foundation of ‘climate determinism,’ can be viewed as the response of natural‐resource‐dependent, agriculture‐based communities to climatically driven environmental changes. In some cases, these could have provoked major damage in economic and social organization of the societies, thus paving the way for political disintegration. Could this climate variability be connected with the Earth's magnetic field? If so, a link might be found between the past geomagnetic field behavior and the history of humanity. This article explores that potential link, using a case study of the Classic Maya civilization.