Secrets of the Mayan civilization's collapse may be hidden in sediment under a lake in Mexico, a
study published Thursday revealed.
Ancient Mayans are considered to be one of the most advanced civilizations of their time. At the height of the empire 1,400 years ago in modern day Guatemala, they excelled in agriculture, architecture, mathematics, pottery, and calendar-making, The History Channel noted.
However, by the 1500s most of the great cities had been abandoned, leaving scholars to debate on what had caused an advanced civilization to crumble.
Drought, deforestation, and over-population have all been suggested as possible reasons for the fall of the empire, and now researchers may have evidence to back up the drought theory, The Washington Post reported.
They key may lie in the sediment under Lake Chichancanab on the Yucatan Peninsula, where a 50-percent decrease in annual precipitation from 800 to 1,000 A.D. was found.
At times, the decrease reached as much as 70 percent, lending support to the theory that a severe drought could have drastically impacted Mayan agriculture at a critical time in their history.
"Drought does have the potential to be a driving force for a lot of the issues that can cause civilization stress," said Nick Evans, a graduate student studying paleoclimatology at Cambridge University and first author of the study, according to The Washington Post.
It is well documented that the area endured regular droughts during the height of the Mayan civilization and, according to Business Insider, these intense droughts could last up to 18 years.
The situation could only be further exasperated by deforestation and poor water management.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration further noted that other factors such as soil erosion and disease could have contributed to the demise of the Mayans.
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