SITIO ARQUEOLÓGICO EL CEIBAL

Thanks to its position over the river, El Ceibal controlled the region and became one of the most important cities of the Late Classic period. The so-called "Galería del Arte Maya", which today is one of the most visited sites in the Petén, reached its peak between the years 700 and 900, with almost 10,000 inhabitants. A considerable growth that would be linked to the installation of populations coming from the neighboring Chiapas, in Mexico, as the influences found in the different constructions suggest. The presence of sculptures and non-Mayan representations tends to reinforce this hypothesis.

After its fast decline, then its abandonment, the site is quickly conquered by the jungle. One finds the trace of it at the end of the XIXth century, thanks to an explorer missioned by the Peabody museum of archaeology and ethnology, attached to Harvard. More exhaustive excavations were carried out from 1964 to 1968, while the monuments were restored, the steles cleared and sometimes straightened, to obtain the appreciable current result.

In total, the site has 31 sculpted monuments, 56 steles, 22 altars and two pelota courts. One of the oldest circular observatories of the Mayan culture can also be admired there. Some of the well-preserved sculptures allow us to distinguish the position of the feet of the central figures. Typical of the Early Classic period, they are all pointed outwards, whereas they were placed one behind the other during the Late Classic. On the other hand, El Ceibal houses four sets of monuments:

Group A. Located in the northwest of the site, around the Plaza Central, it is the most important one, where the majority of the stelae can be found. It is dominated by a pyramid (A24), west of the Plaza Sur. At its top stands out the Estela 17, representing a Maya who submits to a warrior with long hair and wearing a skirt, thus accrediting the thesis of an invasion of populations coming from the present Mexico.

Climbing up buildings A7 and A8, one reaches the Central Plaza, in the center of which is building A3, its four steles marking the cardinal points. Around it are temples and a pelota court. Further on, the Plaza Norte has three buildings and a pyramid.

Group B. Consisting of small mounds, it is established in the South, 2 kilometers from the group D. Far from being a must-see, we will go there to observe its stele - only if there is enough time

Group C. Located at the crossroads of the site, it is perched on the top of a hill. It includes a pelota court and some buildings identified as dwellings. Although there is no temple in the complex, stelae and altars can be seen to the north, at the intersection of Causeways I, II and III. In addition, at the level of Causeway II, to the south of the group, a circular platform is worth a visit, for its altar with a carved jaguar head.

Group D. It is perhaps the most impressive group of the site, because of its compactness and the number of buildings gathered. There are five squares and their buildings, concentrated in a space of 400 meters by 200 meters.

If you don't use an agency, we strongly recommend that you hire a guide on site, so that you don't miss out on any of the historical richness of El Ceibal.