At www.usatoday.com August 26th …. it is claimed archaeologists are near to finding out why the Maya abandoned their cities – in the 9th century AD. It was very rapid it seems – pottery and tools were left behin, and grinding stones used to mill corn. The interior of houses appeared to suggest people had left quickly – leaving behind some of their belongings. We know when they went, it continues, as many of them still live in the north or along the coast. However, the careful packing up seems to point towards a methodical retreat – not one made in haste. No plague. No signs of war. The ritual destruction of old homes might be one interpretation.
At www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/uob-mpi082610.php thee is another story on the Maya – the discovery of two huge artificial lakes with ceramic lined flooring, at Uxal. They were presumably reservoirs – or that is the current interpretation. Further work is in progress.