Named the cause of death of the Mayan civilization
An international group of scientists from the US and the UK found that the ancient Mayan civilization could be lost due to prolonged and severe drought. About it reported in a press release on Science Alert.
It is known that in the ninth century ad the Mayans experienced a strong decline, reflected in a rapid decline in the population, the outflow of population from the cities and the destruction of water supply systems.
Scientists have proposed several hypotheses explaining the disappearance of civilization a lack of fertile soil and drinking water, an epidemic or the conquest of other peoples of Central America.
The researchers analyzed the sediments of lake Chichancanab on the Yucatan Peninsula to determine the climatic conditions during the existence of the Mayan civilization. In the case of prolonged drought the volume of water in the lake would be significantly reduced, resulting in the formed crystals of gypsum with water.
Researchers found that from 800 to 1000 BC, the amount of precipitation has decreased by 70 percent. The drought coincided with the beginning of the Medieval climate optimum era of relatively warm climate in the Northern hemisphere, caused by increased solar activity and a decrease in the number of volcanic eruptions.