What caused the collapse of the Mayan civilization? This cause we know all too well today….
Scientists have made a meticulous analysis of 800 years of the Mayan civilization. It turned out that the beginning of the end came with a huge drought that engulfed their lands….
For many years, scientists have been arguing about what caused the collapse of the Mayan civilization. One of the recurring hypotheses is that drought negatively affected agriculture, the backbone of the Mayan economy. In the latest study, which was published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers examined how climate change affected social and political conflicts among the Maya.
What caused the fall of the city of Mayapán?
Scientists decided to look at the city of Mayapán. It was one of the last major centers of Mayan civilization. Located in what is now the Mexican state of Yucatán, it was about 40 km southeast of the city of Merida and 100 km west of Chichén Itzá. Mayapán was an important political center on the peninsula from about 1220 to 1440.
Archaeological discoveries have shown that serious fighting occurred there in the 15th century and the city was significantly damaged. Until now, however, it was not known what caused the internal conflicts that led to the fall of Mayapán. Researchers…
