Editing Seibal (section)

===Preclassic===
Seibal was first settled around 900 BC in the Preclassic Period.<ref>Schele & Mathews 1999, p. 176.</ref> It reached its peak population in the Late Preclassic around 200 BC, at the end of the Cantuse ceramic phase (300-200 CE).<ref>Sharer & Traxler 2006, pp. 288-9. Schele & Mathews 1999, p. 176.</ref><ref>Willey and Smith 1975-1990</ref> [[Maya ceramics|Ceramics]] from the deep Middle Preclassic levels at Seibal belong to the little-known Real/Xe phase, found in the western Petén region.<ref>Coe 1999, p. 54.</ref> A cruciform [[Olmec]]-style cache consisting of a [[Bloodletting in Mesoamerica|bloodletter]] and [[Jade use in Mesoamerica|jade]] [[Celt (tool)|celts]] is similar to those found in the [[Olmec heartland]] on the [[Gulf Coast of Mexico]], and the artifacts were probably manufactured at [[La Venta]].<ref>Coe 1999, p. 54. Sharer & Traxler 2006, p. 202.</ref> This cache dates to approximately 900 BC.<ref>Adams 1996, p. 82.</ref>
After the Real/Xe complex, came the Escoba period, dating to approximately 600CE-300CE. The ceramics between these two periods are similar, but Escoba ceramics are more extensive and stratigraphically separated. There is also evidence during this time of the population increase that would peak at the end of the Cantutse period.<ref>Willey and Smith 1975-1990</ref>

The earliest settlement in the Middle Preclassic was mostly confined to Group&nbsp;A. After 300 BC, in the Late Preclassic, settlement expanded to include Group&nbsp;D.<ref>Smith 1968, p. 82.</ref> During this period, there is evidence of ceremonial structures being built both in Group A and D.

By the end of the Late Preclassic (or Protoclassic), Seibal experienced an unexplained decline in population.<ref>Smith 1968, p. 84.</ref>