Maya Lowlands climate researchers have set aside earlier beliefs
that Maya civilization flourished in an unchanging environment.
Analyses of river discharge, weather patterns, lake-bottom
sediments, and settlement patterns reveal a highly variable
climate, considerable diversity in local geology and soils,
and a wide range of cultural adaptations tailored to distinctive
subregional settings. Significant knowledge gaps remain. Among
the unanswered questions is how cities in the elevated interior
were maintained without natural, permanent bodies of water even
during equitable climatic conditions, much less through the
episodes of severe drought that have become apparent in studies
of past climates. The research reported in this article lays
the groundwork for climate studies in the southwestern Yucatan
Peninsula.