Late Holocene Climate Change in Central Mexico and the Decline of Teotihuacan

Prolonged droughts in the 7th century, linked to intensified El Niño events and reduced solar output, likely contributed to the decline of Teotihuacan. These climate shifts, which caused a dry Medieval Climate Anomaly (900–1550 CE) followed by a wet early Little Ice Age, were identified using δ18O records from central Mexico. The study suggests that these droughts may have also triggered migration from the western regions into the Basin of Mexico. By analyzing climate mechanisms in late Holocene central Mexico, researchers provide new evidence supporting the drought hypothesis as a factor in Teotihuacan's collapse.

Park, J., Byrne, R., & Böhnel, H. (2018). Late Holocene Climate Change in Central Mexico and the Decline of Teotihuacan. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 109(1), 104–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2018.1488577