Rome and the classic Maya : comparing the slow collapse of civilizations / Rebecca Storey and Glenn R. Storey.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 232-263) and index.

The concept of slow collapse -- The "flood" of catastrophe books and rethinking the concept of collapse -- Introduction to the case studies : the archaeological evidence -- The political economy of collapse -- The political dimension of collapse -- The social dimension of collapse -- The environmental dimension -- The validity of the concept of "slow collapse" and human resilience.

"This volume compares two of the most famous cases of civilizational collapse, that of the Roman Empire and the Classic Maya world. First examining the concept of collapse, and how it has been utilized in the historical, archaeological and anthropological study of past complex societies, Storey and Storey draw on extensive archaeological evidence to consider the ultimate failure of the institutions, infrastructure and material culture of both of these complex cultures"--Provided by publisher.