Passage A
The sudden abandonment of Classic Maya cities in the ninth century CE is best explained by severe, multi-decade droughts. Detailed paleoclimatic records from lake sediments in the Yucatán Peninsula reveal an unprecedented dry period coinciding exactly with the cessation of monumental construction and population decline. While internal political strife and warfare undoubtedly occurred, they were ultimate symptoms of resource scarcity rather than the root cause of the collapse. Without sufficient rainfall to sustain their agricultural base, the highly centralized political structures of the Maya inevitably fragmented, as rulers could no longer claim divine favor or provide for their populations.
Passage B
To attribute the Classic Maya collapse primarily to climate change is to ignore the complex sociopolitical dynamics of the era. Decades before the severe droughts of the late ninth century, Maya city-states were engaged in increasingly destructive warfare, as evidenced by defensive fortifications and shifts in artistic representations favoring militaristic themes. The ruling elite's relentless demands for labor and resources to fund both warfare and monumental architecture stretched the economic system to its breaking point. Consequently, the ensuing droughts merely served as a catalyst, accelerating the dissolution of a society already fatally weakened by endemic conflict and unsustainable political structures.
Evaluate the following statement based on the two passages:
The primary point of contention between the two authors is whether intense warfare and political strife were present during the period leading up to the collapse of the Classic Maya civilization.
Answer: Answer