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NOVA scienceNOW: Maya
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Program Overview
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Scientists investigate ancient Mayan temples and ruins in Guatemala
to better understand factors that contributed to the collapse of
ancient Mayan civilization.
This NOVA scienceNOW segment:
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describes how the ancient Mayans dominated Central America for
12 centuries and that the city of Tikal was a bustling
metropolis and center of culture that lasted for 1,000 years,
while Europe was still in the Dark Ages.
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questions how the ancient Mayan civilization, numbering in the
millions, could have lost around 80 percent of its population in
about 40 years.
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introduces archeologist Bill Saturno and his team, who are
searching for the beginnings of Mayan civilization to better
understand how it collapsed.
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discusses a NASA remote-sensing satellite technology that uses
infrared radiation to reveal hidden land details that can be
visualized on maps.
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concludes with the theory that Mayans may have been partly
responsible for their own collapse by destroying their
environment and contributing to a significant drought.
Taping Rights: Can be used up to one year after the program
is taped off the air.
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