FINAL ESSAY PROMPT: Was drought the fundamental cause of the collapse of the Cl

FINAL ESSAY PROMPT: Was drought the fundamental cause of the collapse of the Classic Maya cities and their associated sociopolitical systems? Answer this question on the basis of the three articles we read on this topic. Consider, as appropriate for your answer: proximate versus ultimate cause; the structural characteristics of the sociopolitical system; the timing of the collapse; the historic and scientific evidence for drought; changing frequencies of warfare; long-term human-environmental interactions; socioeconomic factors; and the non-recovery postclassic. Be sure to make specific reference to the articles in your response.
Please be sure that the essay is well thought out, very detailed, and addresses ALL of the points on the prompt. GUIDELINES: 1. Your response should be double spaced, in 12 point font, and five to six pages in length. (The bibliography may be an extra page or included on the last page of your text. Be sure to follow the procedures for in-text citation and bibliography introduced in the first quiz (attached below). (You do not need to repeat the question in your response.)
2. Be sure to ONLY use the three provided articles as well as the attached lecture. NO OUTSIDE RESOURCES!!
3. To cite the lecture “in text,” use the following format: (Lecture 2024). For the other citations, follow the instructions attached below. PLEASE use a few direct quotes from the articles to back your argument and put them into quotation marks. 4. The format of the essay can be a total of 6 paragraphs. (Introduction, 4 body paragraphs—one for each article, and one to compare all of the articles, followed by a conclusion paragraph) Attached below are the 3 articles, the lecture you will need, as well as the instructions for the bibliography and in text citations.