Because little or no surface water is available in the area, an extensive hydraulic system was created at Calakmul, including 13 large reservoirs with a minimum total capacity of nearly 100 million liters. Canals carry water to and from the reservoirs and at least seven sacbe or sacbeob (causeways) have been mapped to and from Calakmul. Calakmul battled with recurring droughts; and it is believed that an extended drought between AD750 and 950 contributed to the city's collapse.
Sources and Further Information
- About.com's Guide to the Maya Civilization
- Calakmul, from Ancient History at About.com
- Nakbe
- Tikal
- Finding Site Q
Carrasco Vargas, Ramon, Veronica A. Vazquez Lopez, and Simon Martin 2009 Daily life of the ancient Maya recorded on murals at Calakmul, Mexico. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
Carrasco Vargas, Ramon, et al. 1999 A Dynastic Tomb from Campeche, Mexico: New Evidence on Jaguar Paw, a Ruler of Calakmul. Latin American Antiquity 10(1):47-58.
Folan, William J. 2001. Calakmul (Campeche, Mexico). pp 88-90 in Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encyclopedia, Susan Toby Evans and David L. Webster, eds. Garland Publishing, Inc. New York.
Folan, William J., et al. 1995 Calakmul: New Data from an Ancient Maya Capital in Campeche, Mexico. Latin American Antiquity 6(4):310-334.
Pincemin, Sophia, et al. 1998 Extending the Calakmul Dynasty Back in Time: A New Stela from a Maya Capital in Campeche, Mexico. Latin American Antiquity 9(4):310-327.
