It was revealed what caused the Mayan civilization to leave their cities
Every civilization has its ups and downs, but no other culture has experienced such severe decline as the Mayan Empire, which was swallowed up by the jungle after centuries of prosperity and progress in the fields of city building, culture, knowledge and agriculture. What went wrong?
Why did the Mayan civilization decline?
First, it is worth mentioning that Maya history is divided into several periods: pre-classical, classical and post-classical. In fact, only the civilization of the classical period of the 3rd-9th centuries of our era fell into a mysterious decline - to this period we attribute most of the cities built in the Central and Western parts of Yucatan. However, it is also worth noting that after this collapse, the Mayans were able to restore their civilization and survive until the Spanish invasion. Although, alas, the postclassical civilization no longer reached such a power in cultural, social and political terms, and the geography of cities moved from the Center to the North.
Secondly, the question of the reasons for the death of the Mayan civilization is quite controversial and controversial. There are a number of the most probable versions, but so far they are only working hypotheses. Theoretically, the versions of what caused the Mayan collapse can be divided into three main groups:
- Environmental reasons.
- Socio-political reasons.
Complex reasons uniting the hypotheses of both the first group and the second.
Supporters of the first group defend the position that the Mayan collapse is associated with catastrophic climate change or destruction of the ecological environment. This is the most popular version in the media and popular science communities and books. Most often it is said that as a result of a prolonged drought, the imperfect agricultural system of the Maya could not feed the large population of large cities, after which the inhabitants left their homes. However, this version has a very serious contradiction. Yes, indeed, drought had a very destructive role in a large number of regions, but it can hardly be called the main cause of the death of the Mayan civilization - in the Northern regions of Yucatan, where drought acquired the meaning of a really serious catastrophe, cities quickly recovered and flourished at about the same time as in the Central regions, all the cities were abandoned. Moreover, in the Petshbatun area we are witnessing a rapid decline, but there were no signs of drought there.
In connection with the inconsistency of the drought version, hypotheses are put forward explaining the collapse of the Maya by social and military-political crises or external invasion. This includes the theory of the uprising of the oppressed lower classes, popular in scientific circles of the twentieth century, and the theory of an external military invasion, and the theory that the collapse was caused by a long internecine war. But most researchers are still confident that all these events, if they did take place, were rather local in nature and could not be the reason for the collapse of the entire classical civilization.
There are also complex hypotheses that are the most adequate explanations for the crisis and death of the Mayan classics. According to these hypotheses, the collapse was caused by several reasons: the Maya civilization, weakened by internecine wars, could not cope with the crisis caused by drought and external invasions, as a result of which it fell into decay over time.
Research into the causes of the decay of megapilis
For over 1,000 years, the ancient Mayan city of Tikal embodied one of the largest and most important urban centers ever built by this enigmatic and enduring pre-Columbian civilization. However, by the end of the 9th century AD. e. this Mayan metropolis disintegrated. Around the same time, Tikal and a number of other cities were abandoned. A new study by scientists, published in Scientific Reports, sheds light on the extinction of an ancient civilization.
A team of researchers from the University of Cincinnati analyzed deposits from reservoirs in an ancient city located in present-day Guatemala. Scientists have found evidence of toxic contaminants in Tikal's drinking water that would make it undrinkable.
For a sprawling city prone to severe droughts and cut off from lakes and rivers, contaminated rainwater collectors could be disastrous. The city, according to scientists, was home to up to 100,000 people.
The transformation of the central reservoirs of Tikal from places of life support to the epicenter of infection and disease could lead to the devastation of this ancient city, scientists are sure.
To understand how Tikal's reservoir systems supported (and then failed) the city's population, a research team led by biologist David Lenz took sediment samples taken from 10 city reservoirs.
Analysis of DNA still contained in the ancient mud revealed traces of two different types of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) in the tanks.
Evidence suggests that these organisms, Planktothrix and Microcystis, existed in reservoirs for centuries during the heyday of Tikal. However, these blue-green algae bloom during drought, which happened before the exodus of Tikal in the middle of the 9th century AD. e.
Research into the causes of the decay of megapilis
For over 1,000 years, the ancient Mayan city of Tikal embodied one of the largest and most important urban centers ever built by this enigmatic and enduring pre-Columbian civilization. However, by the end of the 9th century AD. e. this Mayan metropolis disintegrated. Around the same time, Tikal and a number of other cities were abandoned. A new study by scientists, published in Scientific Reports, sheds light on the extinction of an ancient civilization.
A team of researchers from the University of Cincinnati analyzed deposits from reservoirs in an ancient city located in present-day Guatemala. Scientists have found evidence of toxic contaminants in Tikal's drinking water that would make it undrinkable.
For a sprawling city prone to severe droughts and cut off from lakes and rivers, contaminated rainwater collectors could be disastrous. The city, according to scientists, was home to up to 100,000 people.
The transformation of the central reservoirs of Tikal from places of life support to the epicenter of infection and disease could lead to the devastation of this ancient city, scientists are sure.
To understand how Tikal's reservoir systems supported (and then failed) the city's population, a research team led by biologist David Lenz took sediment samples taken from 10 city reservoirs.
Analysis of DNA still contained in the ancient mud revealed traces of two different types of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) in the tanks.
Evidence suggests that these organisms, Planktothrix and Microcystis, existed in reservoirs for centuries during the heyday of Tikal. However, these blue-green algae bloom during drought, which happened before the exodus of Tikal in the middle of the 9th century AD.
