Editing Seibal (section)

{{Short description|Archaeological site of the Maya civilization}}
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[[Image:Seibal-temple.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Structure A-3 at Seibal.<ref>Sharer and Traxler 2006, p.520.</ref>]]
[[File:Seibal St.11.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Stela 11 at Seibal.]]
'''Seibal''' ({{IPA|es|sejˈβal}}), known as '''El Ceibal''' in [[Spanish language|Spanish]], is a [[Mesoamerican chronology|Classic Period]] archaeological site of the [[Maya civilization]] located in the northern [[Petén Department]] of [[Guatemala]], about 100&nbsp;km SW of [[Tikal]]. It was the largest city in the [[Pasión River]] region.<ref>Sharer & Traxler 2006 p. 520.</ref>

The site was occupied from the [[Mesoamerican chronology|Preclassic Period]] through to the [[Mesoamerican chronology|Terminal Classic]], with a significant hiatus.<ref>Sharer & Traxler 2006, p. 520. Kelly 1996, p. 154.</ref> The principal phase of occupation dates to the [[Mesoamerican chronology|Late Preclassic]] (400 BC &ndash; AD 200), followed by a decline in the [[Mesoamerican chronology|Early Classic]] (AD 200&ndash;600).<ref>Sharer & Traxler 2006, p. 520.</ref> Seibal experienced a significant recovery in the [[Mesoamerican chronology|Terminal Classic]] immediately prior to its complete abandonment,<ref>Sharer & Traxler 2006, p. 520.</ref> reaching its second peak from about 830 to 890, with a population estimated at 8&ndash;10,000 people.<ref>Sharer & Traxler 2006, p. 689. Kelly 1996, p. 154.</ref> The dates on the [[Maya stelae|stelae]] at Seibal are unusually late, with monuments still being dedicated after the [[Classic Maya collapse]] had engulfed most of the Petén region.<ref>Tourtellot & González 2005, p. 61.</ref> Many of Seibal's late monuments show artistic influence from central [[Mexico]] and from the [[Gulf Coast of Mexico]].

The early history of the site is lost due to the catastrophic defeat of the polity in AD 735 by the nearby [[Petexbatun]] kingdom with its capital at [[Dos Pilas]], resulting in the destruction of its earlier [[Monumental sculpture|sculpted monuments]].<ref>Schele & Mathews 1999, p. 177.</ref> Seibal was reduced to being a [[vassal state]] until the destruction of the Petexbatun kingdom in the late 8th century AD.<ref>Sharer & Traxler 2006, p. 520.</ref> In AD 830 a new elite installed itself at the site with the arrival of [[Wat'ul Chatel]] from [[Ucanal]] to the east. This new arrival reinvigorated Seibal and allowed it to last to the dawn of the 10th century, well after the [[Classic Maya collapse]] had engulfed most of the region.<ref>Sharer & Traxler 2006, p. 524.</ref>