Great civilizations in the rainforest

GREAT CIVILIZATIONS IN THE RAINFOREST

Today most forest dwellers live in small settlements or practice nomadic hunting and gathering. In the past, tropical rainforests and surrounding areas supported great civilizations like the Mayas, Incas, and Aztecs that developed complex societies and made important contributions to science.

These great civilizations faced some of the same environmental problems (excessive forest loss, soil erosion, overpopulation, lack of water supplies) that we face today. For the Maya, the damage they caused to the environment apparently was great enough to cause their downfall.

PHOTOS OF RAINFOREST RUINS

Ta Prohm; Cambodia
(Cambodia)

Ruins of Tikal protruding from the rainforest
(Guatemala)

Ta Prohm; Cambodia
(Cambodia)

Tikal
(Guatemala)

Machu Picchu
Inca ruins
Location: Machu Picchu
(Peru)

Tikal
(Guatemala)

Men's Pavilion at Wat Phou
(Laos)

Tikal
(Guatemala)

Angkor Wat
(Cambodia)

Mayan ruins of Tulum in Mexico
Pictures of ruins