The Collapse of Complex Societies by Joseph A. Tainter

“Monumental architecture and public art are normal characteristics of a civilization but among the Maya they seem to have served a special purpose. Once warfare had developed throughout the region, avoiding or forestalling attack became a major consideration. The external trappings of Mayan Civilization helped to achieve this by: (a) signaling the wealth of polities and the relative population pools on which they could draw (as Mayan art and architecture still do to this day); (b) attracting unaffiliated populations by the promise of strength and security; and (c) communicating unequivocally to visitors a center’s successes at warfare and its treatment of prisoners. This investment in visual display helped to compensate for the lack of significant standing military forces. It was, however, costly. While other peoples have been economically devastated when locked into an escalating campaign of military preparedness, the Maya became trapped in what may be called an ‘art race.’ This, and the other consequences of military competition, were as detrimental to their economy and support population as investment was for the Romans in real military power.”

-Joseph A. Tainter, 1988