The Maya civilization was among the most advanced in history, and its disintegration has perplexed researchers for ages. One of the most compelling theories to date suggests that a shifting climate, playing puppeteer to sociopolitical marionettes, had a devastating role in the Maya's downfall.
Now, researchers have combined remarkably detailed climate data - recorded in a Central American stalagmite - with historical records to help determine what really happened to this mysterious Mesoamerican society.