title: Development and disintegration of Maya political systems in response to climate change.
abstract: The role of climate change in the development and demise of Classic Maya civilization (300 to 1000 C.E.) remains controversial because of the absence of well-dated climate and archaeological sequences. We present a precisely dated subannual climate record for the past 2000 years from Yok Balum Cave, Belize. From comparison of this record with historical events compiled from well-dated stone monuments, we propose that anomalously high rainfall favored unprecedented population expansion and the proliferation of political centers between 440 and 660 C.E. This was followed by a drying trend between 660 and 1000 C.E. that triggered the balkanization of polities, increased warfare, and the asynchronous disintegration of polities, followed by population collapse in the context of an extended drought between 1020 and 1100 C.E.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. djk23@psu.edu
authors.forename: Douglas J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kennett
authors.forename: Sebastian F M
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Breitenbach
authors.forename: Valorie V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Aquino
authors.forename: Yemane
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asmerom
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Awe
authors.forename: James U L
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Baldini
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bartlein
authors.forename: Brendan J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Culleton
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ebert
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jazwa
authors.forename: Martha J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Macri
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marwan
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Polyak
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Prufer
authors.forename: Harriet E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Ridley
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sodemann
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Winterhalder
authors.forename: Gerald H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Haug
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000266:history; D001531:Belize; D059552:Caves; D002962:Civilization / Q000266:history*; D057231:Climate Change / Q000266:history*; D055864:Droughts / Q000266:history; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D007197:Indians, Central American / Q000266:history*; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes; D011056:Political Systems / Q000266:history*; D011891:Rain; D014857:Warfare
chemical_list: D010103:Oxygen Isotopes