Maya: The Fall Of An Empire on SBS and SBS on Demand – Could climate change and pollution be responsible for the decline of the Mayan empire around the year 1000?
The Mayan civilisation, which lasted for 20 centuries, experienced a golden age between 250 and 950 AD. In a hostile environment, deep in the Mexican and Guatemalan jungles, the Maya invented a complex solar calendar, built monumental pyramids, implemented an ingenious hydraulic system, and were also pioneers of permaculture. Yet the Mayan cities were abandoned at the height of their power.
Thanks to the work of archaeologists, Mexican, American, and French paleoclimatologists, as well as tools deployed by NASA, scientists now know that the true cause of the Mayan decline was a major drought. This discovery raises questions about our own society, and its future.
Maya: The Fall Of An Empire on SBS and SBS on Demand – Premiere / Sunday 6 April at 9.25pm (1 Part)
TV Central SBS content HERE
