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Last updated August 6, 2025

Major Civilizational Collapses: Key Periods and Causes

Abandoned Mayan civilization

Understanding the Causes of Civilizational Collapse

Human history has been marked by several major collapses of civilizations, sometimes partial (Western Roman Empire), sometimes reversible (Classic Maya Civilization), and often irreversible (Easter Island Civilization). These complex phenomena generally result from the interaction of multiple environmental factors, i.e., abrupt or gradual disruptions in the political, social, economic, or cultural continuity of a complex society.

Probable Causes of Civilizational Collapse

Sources: Joseph Tainter, The Collapse of Complex Societies (1988), Jared Diamond, Collapse (2005), Eric H. Cline, 1177 B.C. (2014).

Precursor Signs of Collapse

The collapse of a civilization never occurs without precursor signs. These indicators, often visible decades or even centuries beforehand, take various forms but converge towards a dynamic of systemic weakening. Archaeologists, historians, and climatologists identify a set of recurring factors:

These signs do not guarantee a collapse, but their conjunction increases the probability of a tipping point. Their study today helps to better understand contemporary vulnerabilities, particularly in the context of the Anthropocene.

Table of Major Collapses

The following table summarizes several emblematic cases of civilizational collapse throughout human history. Each collapse is presented with its peak period, location, date of decline, and probable causes.

Historical Civilization Collapses: Summary
CivilizationPeriodRegionDate of CollapseDuration of DeclineProbable CausesSpecific Remarks
Indus Valley Civilization (Harappa)c. 2600–1900 BCEPakistan, northwest Indiac. 1900 BCE200–300 yearsClimate changes, weakening of trade, floodsNo traces of war or brutal conquest
Akkadian Empirec. 2334–2154 BCEMesopotamiac. 2150 BCE50–80 yearsSevere aridification, internal conflicts, invasion by the GutiFirst multiethnic empire
Hittite Empirec. 1600–1178 BCEAnatolia (Turkey)c. 1178 BCE20–50 yearsInvasions (Sea Peoples), drought, dynastic conflictsSudden end of Hattusa
Mycenaean Civilizationc. 1600–1100 BCEGreecec. 1100 BCE100–150 yearsEarthquakes, wars, famines, invasionsBeginning of the "Greek Dark Ages"
New Kingdom of Egyptc. 1550–1070 BCEEgyptc. 1070 BCE150–200 yearsInternal troubles, decline of the Nile, economic instability, invasionsSignificant political fragmentation
Assyrian Empirec. 900–612 BCENorthern Mesopotamia612 BCE20–40 yearsInternal revolts, enemy coalition, economic exhaustionCapital Nineveh destroyed
Olmec Civilizationc. 1200–400 BCEGulf of Mexicoc. 400 BCE100–200 yearsClimate changes, population movementsPrecursors to the Mayans
Western Roman Empire27 BCE – 476 CEWestern Europe476 CE200–250 yearsEconomic crisis, political instability, barbarian invasionsTransition to the Middle Ages
Classic Maya Civilizationc. 250–900 CEMesoamericac. 900 CE100–200 yearsDroughts, overpopulation, wars, local ecological collapseMajor southern cities abandoned
Tiwanaku Empirec. 500–1000 CEAndes (Bolivia, Peru)c. 1000 CE50–100 yearsProlonged drought, agricultural decline, regional instabilitiesPredecessor to the Incas
Khmer Empire (Angkor)c. 802–1431 CECambodia1431 CE100–150 yearsWar with Siam, hydraulic crisis, political instabilityAngkor Wat gradually abandoned
Easter Island Civilizationc. 1200–1600 CEEaster Island (Rapa Nui)c. 1600–1700 CE100–150 yearsDeforestation, ecological collapse, internal conflicts, isolationEmblematic case of overconsumption
Inca Empirec. 1438–1533 CEAndes (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador)1533 CE10–20 yearsSpanish conquest, civil war, epidemicsVery rapid fall to Pizarro
Aztec Empirec. 1428–1521 CECentral Mexico1521 CE5–10 yearsSpanish conquest, diseases, anti-Aztec indigenous alliancesSpectacular end of Tenochtitlan
Viking Civilization of Greenlandc. 980–1450 CEGreenlandc. 1450 CE100–150 yearsLittle Ice Age, isolation, social rigidityRefusal to adapt to the Inuit climate

Sources: Nature Geoscience – Climate and Collapse, Cambridge – Collapse of Ancient States, Global Environmental Change – Complex Societies and Collapse.

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