WASHINGTON (AFP).- A long catastrophic drought led to the
collapse of Maya culture, a new study said Thursday, confirming
a controversial hypothesis linking its demise to climate change.
The study, published in Friday's issue of the journal "Science,"
involved an international team of researchers. "The rise and
fall of Mayan civilization is an example of a sophisticated
civilization failing to adapt successfully to climate change,"
said James Baldini of Britain's Durham University. "Periods of
high rainfall increased the productivity of Maya agricultural
systems and led to a population boom and resource
overexploitation." The progressively drier climate that followed
led to the depletion of resources, which in turn sparked
political destabilization and war, he noted in a statement.
Then, "after years of hardship, a nearly century-long drought
from 1020 sealed the fate of the Classic Maya," Baldini added.
The researchers came to their conclusion after reconstructing a
record of weather in the Maya region -- wh