Day Twelve

Echoes of War

Guatemala has suffered through thirty-six years of civil war, which has disrupted people's ability to make a living off the land..

Warfare is not a modern invention. It has a long, dark history in the Maya world. For years, archaeologists thought the ancient Maya were a peaceful, stargazing people. But now we know different.

War turned life at Tikal upside down. People moved into the city's center to be safe. The population dropped, either from people leaving or dying off. Not a single monument was erected. Tikal recovered, but it took a hundred years for life to return to normal.

We've come to learn that Maya rulers used warfare to maintain power and to solve their problems. It's no surprise then that warfare got a lot worse in the years leading up to the final collapse.

	After its defeat by Caracol, Tikal suffered through a difficult century during which it stopped constructing monuments and its population dropped.

Today's Maya suffered through thirty-six years of civil war in Guatemala. They can tell you how war makes everyday life very hard. During the war, trade and travel were dangerous, and crops were destroyed. But unlike the ancient Maya, today's Guatemalans have a change to rebuild their country and work for peace.

Let's hope they can break the cycle and succeed.

Diggin' it,

- John Fox

P.S. To learn more about the great Maya kingdom of Taysal, watch today's Daily Movie at: http://quest.classroom.com/maya2001/movie.asp?qargs=152,12,English

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