Ceibal Archaeological Site

Ceibal (Seibal) lies at western western edge of Maya territory and acted as a gateway, and a cultural gathering point. Since Ceibal lies next to River La Passion, it can be reached via 4x4 or boat.

Ceibal is most famous for its preserved "stelas" (carved stone pillars). A vast majority of Maya carvings have been eroded away by the jungles because the stone, limestone, is not a very hard or robust stone. Today they are protected by shelters made of palm branches.

Monkey Stela (2). You can see the large eyes and the big ears, like a monkey, on the face.


The rest of the stela photos have been converted to black and white along with some enhancements to try and make them easier to see.

Serpent Stela (13), its hard to see but there are serpents at the waist, knees and feet.

Stela 1 appears to have a a broken nose and the pointed beard can be seen.

Sun Stela 11, on the arms and chest are suns that have 4 sets of 3 pronged rays. This exact same image is seen in the Southwest USA. Infact the Flag of New Mexico has this "zia symbol".

Stela 10, top.

Stela 10, middle.

Stela 10, bottom.

Stela 7 seems to reflect more of the asian ancestry of native americans. The smaller nose and squinted eyes.

The boat ride home.