The reason for the extinction of the ancient Mayan city was found out

Scientists have found out why the city of Tikal, one of the largest settlements of the Mayan civilization, died out by the end of the IX century. The contents of ancient reservoirs were carefully analyzed, where they found the remains of cyanobacteria that polluted the water.

The city, located in modern-day Guatemala, was quite far from water sources. Residents were forced to collect rainwater that was in reservoirs. By the middle of the IX century, the level of pollution in the storage facilities was so high that the citizens had to leave the city – no one wanted to drink such dirty water. In addition, traces of mercury were found in the tanks, the use of which even more negatively affected the health of the residents of Tikal.

Photo © gazeta.ua