Lost village on Yorkshire hill may hold secret to long-term prosperity

Perched on a steep chalk hillside, are the remains of Wharram Percy—a ruined stone church and grassy mounds are all that is left of a once-thriving community. Now, a new study has revealed that the "rubbish" its residents left behind, such as broken cooking pots, shows an economy that grew, adapted and ultimately declined, offering fresh insight into how human societies can prosper without exhausting their resources.