Paleo Slide Set: Climate and the Classic Maya Civilization
View of the ancient Maya city of Tikal, Guatemala

Our society is increasingly interested in the consequences of future climate and environmental 
changes, as well as the role that humans play in these changes. Human civilizations throughout 
history have affected the environment (and perhaps influenced climate) through deforestation, 
agriculture, urbanization and industrialization. In turn, climate events such as droughts, floods, 
and hurricanes have impacted ancient cultures, both socially and economically. For decades, 
archaeologists have been trying to unlock the mystery surrounding one ancient society's collapse 
of the Classic Maya. Did human-induced sociopolitical or ecological change cause the collapse of 
this highly advanced Mesoamerican civilization, or could natural climate variability of the Yucatan 
Peninsula have contributed to the change? Paleoclimatologists are studying the climatic history of 
this region to provide archaeologists with the climate history during one of the most dramatic cycles 
in Mayan civilization. 

Photo Credits:
Robert S. Webb 
NOAA