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The Disappearance of the Maya Civilization: Significance & Factors

History
Year 9 / GCSE / Grade 8
9 questions
~18 mins
1 views0 downloads

About This Worksheet

This worksheet explores the significance and various factors contributing to the mysterious decline of the Maya Civilization. Students will categorize, compare, and analyze key reasons behind the decline.

Topics covered:

#History
#History
#Maya Civilization
#Standard
#Significance & Factors
#Disappearance
#Identify and categorize factors that contributed to the Maya decline
#Compare the relative importance of different factors
#Explain and justify their rankings with evidence

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The Disappearance of the Maya Civilization: Significance & Factors

Subject: HistoryGrade: Year 9 / GCSE / Grade 8
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Untitled Worksheet

Grade Year 9 / GCSE / Grade 8
A

Introduction to the Maya Disappearance

The Maya Civilization was one of the most advanced ancient cultures in Central America. By around 900 AD, many of their cities were abandoned, and the civilization's decline remains a subject of debate among historians.

Source A: Archaeological Evidence

'Excavations reveal widespread destruction and abandonment of Maya cities around 900 AD, suggesting a sudden or gradual decline.' Provenance: Report from an archaeological excavation, 2000.

1.
Categorize the factors that might have contributed to the decline of the Maya civilization into Political, Social, Economic, and Religious groups. List at least two factors for each category.
[4 marks]
2.
Compare the significance of environmental change and warfare as factors in the Maya decline. Which do you think was MORE significant? Justify your answer with evidence.
[6 marks]
3.
Outline how economic decline might have influenced the social and political stability of the Maya cities.
[3 marks]
4.
Explain why understanding religious changes is important when studying the decline of the Maya civilization.
[3 marks]
5.
Which factor do you think was the MOST significant in causing the decline of the Maya civilization? Rank it and justify your choice with evidence.
[6 marks]
6.
Compare the impact of internal factors (such as social unrest or leadership decline) with external factors (such as environmental change or invasion) on the Maya decline. Which had a greater effect?
[6 marks]
7.
Analyse how the combination of different factors might have contributed to the Maya civilization’s decline.
[6 marks]
8.
Outline what current archaeological evidence suggests about the reasons for the Maya decline.
[3 marks]
9.
Compare the significance of political instability and environmental change in the decline of the Maya civilization. Which do you think was more impactful? Justify your answer.
[6 marks]

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Details

Created
1/1/2026
Updated
1/1/2026
Type
worksheet
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