The Collapse of the Mayans

2. A channel for conveying water or fluid, or a person who transmits information/influence.
4. To retrieve or recover something previously lost (what the jungle did to the cities).
5. The study of celestial bodies, a field in which this culture excelled with terrifying accuracy.
6. A very steep rock face, or a metaphor for a hazardous situation or brink of disaster.
9. A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, a leading suspect in the collapse.
10. A tall stone shaft or slab carved with writing and images, often used to record history.
14. Not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection.
15. Irritable and quarrelsome; difficult to control (used to describe the city-states).
16. To make a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse.
18. Formed of a single large block of stone; metaphorically, a large, indivisible, and uniform organization.
19. The time or date when sun crosses the celestial equator, marked by the serpent shadow at Chichén Itzá.

1. Relating to a system, especially as opposed to a particular part.
2. An underground reservoir used by the Maya to store rainwater, known as a 'chultun'.
3. A hieroglyphic character or symbol; a pictograph.
7. A form or process of civil government or constitution; an organized society.
8. Excessive pride or self-confidence that often leads to a downfall.
11. The peninsula to the north where many Maya migrated and flourished after the southern collapse.
12. The clearing of trees, often to burn lime for plaster, which damaged the microclimate.
13. The primary crop and staple food of the civilization, vital for survival.
17. One of the largest and most powerful cities of the classic period, located in modern-day Guatemala.