A new possible cause of the collapse of the Maya civilization has been named

A team of scientists led by Benjamin Gwinnett from the University of Montreal has established that a possible cause of the decline of Maya civilization was drought, which led to resource shortages and disruption of trade exchange. The results of the study were published in the journal Biogeosciences.

The researchers analyzed bottom sediments of Lake Laguna Itzán, near which one of the significant Maya cities — Itzán — was located. The scientists studied sedimentary rock cores dating from four thousand to 3,300 years old, which made it possible to reconstruct the history of settlement in the region and changes in natural conditions.

The analysis showed that the first permanent settlements in this area appeared about 3,200 years ago. In the early stage, inhabitants actively practiced slash-and-burn agriculture, cutting down and burning forests to create fertile plots. Later, as the population grew, the use of fire decreased, indicating a transition to more sustainable farming methods.

The key finding was the absence of signs of prolonged droughts in the Itzán area. Hydrogen isotope analysis showed that the climate in this zone remained relatively stable even during the period when drought conditions were recorded in other Maya regions.

Despite this, the population of Itzán sharply declined approximately during the same period — between 750 and 1000 CE — when the general decline of Maya civilization was occurring. This contradicts the traditional hypothesis linking the collapse exclusively to climate change.

The study authors believe that the high interconnectedness of Maya cities may have played a decisive role. Droughts in some regions led to resource shortages, increased conflicts, and the destruction of trade links. As a result, population migrations began and the entire system was destabilized, affecting even those areas where the climate remained favorable.