Is the Maya experience a cautionary tale for the modern world or was it a unique expression of that culture at that time?

The Maya civilization, one of the great culture of the Americas, has been of great interest to many scientist, especially of archeologists due to the wonders that have been discovered about this civilization. Believed to have descended from an older culture known as the Olmecs, the great civilization, which created a real empire, saw its first known origins in 250 AD and it is believed to have ended around 900 AD.

Of what is known about the end of the Mayan civilization is that first, after centuries of being a truly powerful and well-organized civilization, its leaders became too enamored with their power and a lot of corruption brought about a series of wars, and civil strife, between the different polities spread out throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, that ended the continuation of the empire. Thus, when the Spanish came in contact with what remained of the actual empire, the powerful civilization was almost seeing its end.

But probably the best known story about the end of the Mayas was a huge drought, believed to have swept over the Yucatan Peninsula around 800 or 1000 AD, and for which the Mayas had not been prepared. Living on the land, depending on its resources, and their population spreading further and further, the ecosystems of the Peninsula seem to not have been able to sustain the need of the people and finally, food became scarce. Those who survived the drought spread away from where they used to live, and most died and fell to the Spanish when the Conquistadores arrived.

The famous tale of the drought that put an end to the powerful Maya does seem a cautionary tale for the future world, as today we are seeing the same signs and symptoms. The difference lies in the fact that today science and we, know exactly where the devastation of our resources is leading, whereas the Maya did not have the scientific knowledge to foretell what happened. Whichever way it is looked at, the fact that resources ran out due to drought, and that the Maya were not capable to cope with it, does seem like a warning of what may happen to us if we do not take measures immediately.