Ancient Maya Metropolis

The ancient ancestors of today’s Maya people thrived in large sophisticated cities across Central America for centuries. Why, around 750 CE, did they begin to abandon many of their major cities? Archaeologists investigate dramatic new evidence of the catastrophic droughts and instability that pushed cities beyond their limits.

“The contemporary Maya people still practice not only Maya traditions, but Mesoamerican traditions," anthropologist Iyaxel Coteji Ren told NOVA. "It's one of the traits that distinguish Maya culture."

LIDAR technology reveals that, in 700 C.E., the ancient Maya city of Caracol was one of the largest in the world.