Nasca People Of Ancient Peru: Forest Clearances Sealed Civilization's Downfall
Monday, November 2, 2009 - 22:28
in Paleontology & Archaeology
An ancient South American civilisation which disappeared around 1,500 years ago helped to cause its own demise by damaging the fragile ecosystem that held it in place, a study has found. Archaeologists examining the remains of the Nasca, who once flourished in the valleys of south coastal Peru, have uncovered a sequence of human-induced events which led to their "catastrophic" collapse around 500 AD.