SciencemayaGreat Blue Holemayan civilization

Belize's 'Blue Hole' May Help Solve Mystery Of Maya Downfall

Famous 'Blue Hole' May Help Solve Mystery Of Maya Downfall
By 

Associate Science Editor, The Huffington Post

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Scientists know all about the sophisticated calendars and writing system of the Maya, as well as their ritual sacrifices. But as for exactly what caused the the ancient civilization to collapse around 900 A.D., that's long been a bit of a mystery.

Now a team of researchers from Rice University and Louisiana State University think they may be one step closer to cracking the mystery, thanks in part to evidence from the "Great Blue Hole." The massive sinkhole located in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Belize was made popular by pioneering conservationist Jacques Cousteau, who visited it in 1971 and declared it one of the world's best scuba diving sites.

The researchers analyzed sediment samples from the Blue Hole, looking specifically at variations in color, grain size, and layer thickness. They also examined samples from the Belize Central Shelf Lagoon, a body of water attached to the mainland, noting differences in the samples' ratio of titanium to aluminum, which helps provide an estimate for rainfall levels.

The analyses revealed low levels of precipitation and a drop in the frequency of tropical cyclones from 800 to 900 A.D. in the Yucatan peninsula--which suggests the region was hit by a major drought at the time, the researchers told The Huffington Post in an email.

The research also suggested that another major drought hit the region between 1000 and 1100 A.D., around when the Maya city of Chichen Itza is believed to have fallen.

"When you have major droughts, you start to get famines and unrest," study co-author Dr. André Droxler, an earth scientist at Rice, told Live Science.

The research on the lagoon was presented on Dec. 16 at the American Geophysical Union's 2014 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, and the study on the Blue Hole samples was published Jan. 2014 in the journal Scientific Reports.

The research builds upon previous studies suggesting climate change precipitated the Mayas' downfall. A 2012 study of a stalagmite from a cave in Belize linked the region's population collapse to a "drying trend" between 600 and 1000 A.D.

The first Maya settlements were established in 1800 B.C. The civilization hit its peak around 250 A.D., reaching a population of about 2,000,000.

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Before You Go

Maya Ruins
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"Younger Brother Obsidian," as labeled on the north wall of the Maya city's house by an unknown hand, was painted in the 9th century A.D. Archaeologist William Saturno of Boston University excavates the house in the ruins of the Maya city of Xultún. Younger Brother Obsidian may have been the town scribe. Excavation and preservation of the site were supported by the National Geographic Society.Photo by Tyrone Turner © 2012 National Geographic
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Trees grow atop a newly discovered mound over a house built by the ancient Maya that contains the rendering of an ancient figure, possibly the town scribe. The house sits at the edge of the ancient site of Xultún in Guatemala, a city that once housed tens of thousands of people. Excavation and preservation of the site were supported by the National Geographic Society.Photo by Tyrone Turner © 2012 National Geographic
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Three male figures, seated and painted in black. The men, wearing only white loincloths and medallions around their necks and a head dress bearing another medallion and a single feather, were uncovered on the ruined house's west wall. The painting recreates the design and colors of the original Maya mural. Excavation and preservation of the site were supported by the National Geographic Society.Painting by Heather Hurst
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A Maya king, seated and wearing an elaborate head dress of blue feathers, adorns the north wall of the ruined house discovered at the Maya site of Xultún. An attendant, at right, leans out from behind the king's head dress. The painting by artist Heather Hurst recreates the design and colors of the original Maya artwork at the site. The excavation and preservation of the site were supported by the National Geographic Society.Painting by Heather Hurst
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A vibrant orange figure, kneeling in front of the king on the ruined house's north wall, is labeled "Younger Brother Obsidian," a curious title seldom seen in Maya text. The man is holding a writing instrument, which may indicate he was a scribe. The painting recreates the design and colors of the figure in the original Maya mural. Excavation and preservation of the site were supported by the National Geographic Society.Painting by Heather Hurst
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Four long numbers on the north wall of the ruined house relate to the Maya calendar and computations about the moon, sun and possibly Venus and Mars; the dates may stretch some 7,000 years into the future. These are the first calculations Maya archaeologists have found that seem to tabulate all of these cycles in this way. Although they all involve common multiples of key calendrical and astronomical cycles, the exact significance of these particular spans of time is not known.Illustration by William Saturno and David Stuart © 2012 National Geographic
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The painted figure of a man -- possibly a scribe who once lived in the house built by the ancient Maya -- is illuminated through a doorway to the dwelling, in northeastern Guatemala. The structure represents the first Maya house found to contain artwork on its walls. The research is supported by the National Geographic Society.Photo by Tyrone Turner © 2012 National Geographic
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Conservator Angelyn Bass cleans and stabilizes the surface of a wall of a Maya house that dates to the 9th century A.D. The figure of a man who may have been the town scribe appears on the wall to her left. Excavation and preservation of the site were supported by the National Geographic Society.Photo by Tyrone Turner © 2012 National Geographic
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Never-before-seen artwork -- the first to be found on walls of a Maya house -- adorn the dwelling in the ruined city of Xultún. The figure at left is one of three men on the house's west wall who are painted in black and wear identical costumes. Excavation and preservation of the site were supported by the National Geographic Society.Photo by Tyrone Turner © 2012 National Geographic
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Archaeologist William Saturno of Boston University carefully uncovers art and writings left by the Maya some 1,200 years ago. The art and other symbols on the walls may have been records kept by a scribe, Saturno theorizes. Saturno's excavation and documentation of the house were supported by the National Geographic Society. Photo by Tyrone Turner © 2012 National Geographic
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