What happens when a civilisation at its peak begins to fail? Historians have long been fascinated by the Maya Collapse in the 9th century: why the great cities of Mesoamerica were abandoned, why their populations disappeared, and why the construction of magnificent monuments came to a halt.
To trace the story of this mighty fall, Dan travels to the ancient Maya cities hidden in the jungles of Belize to investigate star wars, climate crisis, and the Spanish conquest that delivered the final blow. He also ventures deep into Belize's extraordinary cave system with archaeologist Dr Rafael Guerra to uncover how the Maya turned to human sacrifice in an attempt to appease forces beyond their control- leading to an astonishing discovery.
If you'd like to visit any of the places mentioned in this episode, like the ancient cities of Caracol, Lamanai or Belize's many caves, you can find out more at www.travelbelize.org.
If you want more Maya history, you can sign up to watch our History Hit documentary The Secrets of the Maya at https://access.historyhit.com/videos/secrets-of-the-maya
With huge thanks to Jonnell Augustine and Simon Noralez from the Belize Tourism Board, Natalie Wilson and Gabriella Bustone from Finn Partners. Thank you to all our contributors, including archaeologists Dr Adrian Chase, Dr Rafael Guerra, guide Reuben Arevalo and Juan Cal.
Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.
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