09: What Caused the Hohokam Society to Collapse?
There are multiple theories that explain why the Hohokam collapsed. Despite the multiple theories, many support Jared Diamond’s five general vulnerabilities that contribute to societal collapse.
General Vulnerabilities for Societal Collapse
General Vulnerabilities for Societal Collapse | Hohokam Circumstances |
---|---|
Human environmental damage | Population surpasses carrying capacity of the land leading to environmental degradation |
Climate change | Severe periods of flood and drought |
Hostile neighbors | No evidence |
Loss of neighboring friendly societies | Reduced food surpluses resulted in decreased trade that led to isolation |
Failure to adapt to vulnerabilities | Refusal to leave canal infrastructure; Disputes over shared water usage fractured overarching social structure |
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