A system of canals 2 millennia old sustained a local population after the collapse of its neighbors, and it continues to affect local ecology today.
Maya
Severe Cyclones May Have Played a Role in the Maya Collapse
Sediment cores from the Great Blue Hole reveal that a series of extreme storms hit the region after 900. The storms may have irreparably damaged an already stressed Maya population.
Ancient Maya Farms Revealed by Laser Scanning
One agricultural network was 5 times larger than earlier estimates, and the fields may be an early source of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
Severe Drought May Have Helped Hasten Ancient Maya’s Collapse
Chemical signatures from sediments in lake cores reveal that the centuries-long drought during the fall of Classic Maya civilization was worse than researchers had imagined.
Ancient Maya May Have Foreseen Meteor Showers
Modern astronomical techniques have uncovered clues to a possible facet of Mayan astronomy from nearly 2 millennia ago not found in surviving records.
