Civilization Ruined By Drought Left Signs Of Thirst

A ruin recently discovered in Belize holds answers on how the Maya wrestled with drought.

"Nestled in a quiet forest, a deep aquamarine pool holds ruins from a time when the ancient Maya turned to a 'drought cult' and hurried sacrifices to a water god to stave off the fall of their civilization," National Geographic recently reported.

Archeologists discovered the ruin of a water temple at the site. It included a plaza, the ruins of a lodge, and two other structures. The Maya civilization in Central America collapsed after A.D. 800, according to the report.

"The find paints a picture of drought-stricken devotion during the collapse of the Maya," the report continued. "The main structure rests beside a deep pool where pilgrims offered sacrifices to the Maya water god, and perhaps to the demons of the underworld."

The findings come as scientists consolidate an increasing wealth of data pointing to drought as the culprit behind the fall of the Maya, according to a December report by the Washington Post.

To measure the effect of drought on the Maya, Rice University scientist Andre Droxler "looked at mineral deposits in the Great Blue Hole — a 1,000-foot crater about 40 miles off the coast of Belize. Taking core samples from the sediment, Droxler’s team looked at the ratio of titanium to aluminum. When it rains a lot, titanium from volcanic rock ends up in the Atlantic Ocean — and in the Great Blue Hole. During drier periods, there’s less titanium to be found," the report said.

This approach revealed that between A.D. 800 and A.D. 1000, the number of tropical cyclones in the area was far below the norm, LiveScience reported.

Though the mystical approach did not appear to work for the Maya, some Californians are currently appealing to higher powers to get them through the drought, as well.

"Farmers throughout the state are using a mysterious and some say foolhardy tool for locating underground water: dowsers, or water witches," the Associated Press reported.

How does that work, exactly? "Practitioners of dowsing use rudimentary tools — usually copper sticks or wooden 'divining rods' that resemble large wishbones — and what they describe as a natural energy to find water or minerals hidden deep underground," the report said. This service isn’t cheap, some ‘water witches” charge as much as $500 per visit, the report said.

For more information on water scarcity, visit Water Online's Water Scarcity Solution Center.