TED-Ed

The rise and fall of the Maya Empire’s most powerful city - Geoffrey E. Braswell (2024x34)

: 25, 2024

During the 8th century CE, warfare and failing agriculture forced Maya people to move north, to hotter, drier Yucatán. Because of its freshwater access, Chichen Itza became the most powerful Maya city, with nearly 50,000 citizens at its height. But the region presented its own challenges and the city's golden age wouldn’t last forever. Geoffrey E. Braswell traces the city's rise and fall. Lesson by Geoffrey E. Braswell, directed by Hernando Bahamon, Globizco Studios.