Maya Civilization Collapse, Drought & Deforestation
900 CE • Mesoamerica
Studies have indicated that the collapse was due to a combination of drought and extensive deforestation. According to a 2010 paper published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, "the drought conditions devastating the Maya resulted from a combination of natural variability and human activities. Neither the natural drought or the human-induced effects alone were sufficient to cause the collapse, but the combination created a situation the Maya could not recover from."
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2009JD011942/abstract
Collection of Negatives and Prints, 1895-1908: Peabody Museum Archives, Harvard University
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