Drought may have caused decline of Mayan civilization

Guardian : The Mayan civilization began about 2000 BC and flourished for three millennia before mysteriously collapsing over a 200-year period between AD 800 and 1000. Now researchers say the great civilization’s decline may have been due to climate change and a lack of fresh water. In their study published in the journal Scientific Reports, scientists from Louisiana State University and Rice University say that rock and sediment samples drilled from the Great Blue Hole—a large underwater sinkhole off the coast of Belize—indicate that some 1200 years ago the region experienced fewer tropical cyclones and longer droughts. Massive drought can cause a number of problems, including famine due to reduced crop yields, disease from dirty water, and rivalries among cities for resources. Climate change and drought have also been cited in the decline of other civilizations, including the Akkadian Empire in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt’s Old Kingdom, and the Anasazi in the southwestern US.