Scientists have discovered that there was a massive growth in population among Native Americans around 500 and 1300 AD.
Their study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that the boom came during a time when early signs of civilization led to an increase in birth rates that was larger than "the highest in the world today."
Researchers examined thousands of human remains from hundreds of locations in the Four Corners region of the Southwest US.
This let the researchers create a comprehensive look at the location's Neolithic demography, with stone tools showing a shift in agriculture from meat to grain, according to the release.
Findings showed that there was a drastic fall in population, most likely because there wasn't enough food.
"We can learn lessons from these people," researcher Tim Kohler, from Washington State University, said, according to
Corn was grown in the location studied as early as 2000 BC, though populations were slow to respond at first.
As of around 400 BC, corn consumption started to increase and rose until about 500 AD.
In 900 AD however, populations started to fluctuate following one of the worst droughts in the area's history in the mid-1100s.
The researchers believe that the area hit its population's capacity and remained high as a result of conflict, according to the release.
"They didn't slow down-birth rates were expanding right up to the depopulation," Kohler said. "Why not limit growth? Maybe groups needed to be big to protect their villages and fields."
This was a trap however, according to Kohler, and within 30 years the northern area of the Southwest went from a population of over 40,000 to almost nothing.
The researchers believe the population grew too big to feed itself, which caused people to leave. Upholding a society would have close to impossible, and the area was left empty, something Kohler believes can be reflected in modern societies.
"It's the first step towards all the trappings of civilization that we currently see," Kohler added.
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