Scientists at the University of Cincinnati (USA) have found that the ancient Mayans were able to use relatively complex technologies to purify water. They made filters from natural materials. This is reported in an article published in Scientific Reports.
Researchers have discovered a filter system in Tikal, in the Corriental Reservoir, an important source of drinking water for the ancient Maya in northern Guatemala. To make filters, the indigenous Mesoamericans used quartz and zeolite, which form a natural molecular sieve. Both minerals are still used in modern drinking water purification systems.
Ancient filters, dating back two thousand years, removed harmful microbes, nitrogen-rich compounds, heavy metals such as mercury, and other toxins from the water. Zeolite and quartz were mined for them about three dozen kilometers northeast of Tikal.
It is known that the Maya left Tikal in the middle of the 9th century AD, but the exact reason for their exodus remains unknown. Contamination of fresh water sources is considered one of the reasons. The Maya drank water, which contained not only mercury, but also high concentrations of phosphates, which entered the reservoirs along with food waste and faeces. Perhaps the inhabitants of Tikal accidentally discovered that zeolite and quartz help purify the water, but in the end the reservoirs were too polluted.
