Cival

Cival is a major Preclassic Maya site in the Peten Basin of Guatemala, about 40 km east of Tikal, that flourished from the 6th century BC through the 1st century AD with a peak population of around 10,000. Excavations led by Francisco Estrada-Belli revealed a ceremonial center spanning half a mile, featuring a Preclassic E-Group astronomical complex dating to c. 900 BC. Two monumental 5x3-metre stucco masks flanking a pyramid stairway display Olmecoid were-jaguar features and maize deity iconography. A ritual cache contained 120 polished jade pieces, five jade axes, and spondylus shells -- among the earliest evidence of public accession rituals in the Maya lowlands. Stela 2, dating to c. 300 BC, ranks among the oldest known Maya lowland sculptures.