title: Xibun
text: # Xibun
  
  Xibun is an alternate Mayan spelling of Sibun that appears on some Spanish colonial-period maps of the region, and is sometimes used to refer to:
  
  * the Sibun River located in central Belize
  * ancient or historic Maya settlers in the Sibun River valley
  
  ## Xibun Maya
  
  Xibun may denote the ancient and historic Maya inhabitants of the Sibun River valley.
  
  The Sibun River meanders through a Karst topography containing countless Maya cave sites. A significant contribution of archaeological research in the area has been the documentation of the ritual use of caves by the Xibun Maya. Of particular note, a pattern of speleothem (cave formation) breakage was documented in caves that was explained by their incorporation into public architecture at prehistoric settlements located across the river.
  
  17°25′N 88°15′W﻿ / ﻿17.417°N 88.250°W﻿ / 17.417; -88.250
  
  