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By the late 1200s, approximately between 1280 and 1300 AD, the inhabitants abruptly abandoned Cliff Palace and neighboring mesa Top sites. The reasons behind this exodus remain a subject of scholarly debate, but evidence points to a series of environmental and social crises.
A prolonged drought period, marked by a series of severe droughts from 1276 to 1299, devastated food crops and depleted stored supplies. Without sufficient water or food, survival became increasingly precarious. Environmental stress likely intensified social tensions, leading to competition or conflict over diminishing resources.