These abandoned Mayan cities hold an alarming prophecy for today
These abandoned Mayan cities hold an alarming prophecy for today
Sarah Kramer
Jun. 27, 2016, 1:15 PM
At the height of the Mayan empire 1,400 years ago, the city of Tikal in modern-day Guatemala was a bustling metropolis the size of London during the Middle Ages. But when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Central America in 1517, the Mayan people had left Tikal for the surrounding jungle, and its limestone towers were already in ruins. At this point, the city had been abandoned for several hundred years.
But why did a sophisticated and seemingly prosperous civilization would pull up stakes over the course of just two centuries, abandoning their urban centers? In the past few years, scientists have been gathering evidence that drought and deforestation made life in the cities unsustainable, leading to the collapse of not only Tikal but dozens of cities in the southern part of the empire.
A civilization dries up
By the time of Tikal's decline sometime around 900, Maya civilization and culture had been developing for at least 1,000 years and the empire had amassed an estimated population of 19 million. Droughts were common, but an innovative reservoir system allowed Tikal to flourish anyway, eventually growing to as many as 100,000 residents.
More:
http://www.techinsider.io/maya-civilization-fall-droughts-climate-change-mexico-2016-6
= new reply since forum marked as read
