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The Maya civilization demonstrated a remarkably advanced understanding of water management and purification. The key to this ingenuity was the use of zeolite, a porous volcanic mineral with a unique molecular structure capable of filtering out impurities, heavy metals, and bacteria. In the great city of Tikal, Maya engineers layered zeolite in their vast stone-lined reservoirs, creating one of the oldest known water filtration systems in human history. These reservoirs collected rainwater during the rainy season, supplying the city during long periods of drought. More importantly, by purifying the stored water, the system protected the population from diseases, a vital achievement in the humid jungle environment, prone to pathogens.