Abstract
The critical importance of water is undeniable. It is particularly vital in semitropical regions with noticeable wet and dry seasons, such as the southern Maya lowlands. Not enough rain results in decreasing water supply and quality, failed crops, and famine. Too much water results in flooding, destruction, poor water quality, and famine. We show not only how Classic Maya (ca. A.D. 250–950) society dealt with the annual seasonal extremes, but also how kings and farmers responded differently in the face of a series of droughts in the Terminal Classic period (ca. A.D. 800–950). Maya farmers are still around today; kings, however, disappeared over 1,000 years ago. There is a lesson here on how people and water managers responded to long-term climate change, something our own society faces at present. The basis for royal power rested in what kings provided their subjects materially—that is, water during annual drought via massive artificial reservoirs, and spiritually—that is, public ceremonies, games, festivals, feasts, and other integrative activities. In the face of rulers losing their powers due to drought, people left. Without their labor, support and services, the foundation of royal power crumbled; it was too inflexible and little suited to adapting to change.
Highlights
We show how Classic Maya
There is a lesson here on how people and water managers responded to long-term climate change, something our own society faces at present
Political decision making over the long run focused on water control; all the other things for which Maya royalty were so famous were an extension of their success as water managers
Summary
Since history can repeat itself, it is becoming increasingly important that policy makers, politicians and others realize, as the International Council for Science notes, that “Archives from the past—e.g., ice cores, coral cores, tree rings, archaeological records—must be studied more vigorously to provide paths of change, baseline conditions, insights into past societal resilience or fragility and perspectives on projection of future change” [5] We illustrate this point through a discussion of Classic Maya water systems, between ca. Fagan [10] highlights how short-term or immediate responses, for example, using depleted resources to supplicate the gods, can make societies more vulnerable in the long run—a lesson with which we are increasingly becoming familiar He has continued his call to arms [11] by making the point through several case studies from around the world indicating that our inability to efficiently respond to climate change in the long term has drastic and unforeseen consequences
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