What opportunities did sinkholes found in southern Mexico and Central America offer the ancient Maya?

Maya priests in the city of Chichen Itza in the Yucatan peninsula sacrificed children to petition the gods for rain and fertile fields by throwing them into sacred sinkhole caves, known as “cenotes.” The caves served as a source of water for the Mayans and were also thought to be an entrance to the underworld.

Identify and explain two specific cultural or political influences that islamic merchants had on sub-saharan africa.