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Becan "The Road of the Serpent" [Map] |
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In Mayan language Becan means "The Road of the Serpent". This archaeological site was built from carved limestone.
Rio Bec Architecture: The Rio
Bec architectural style combines those known as Peten and Chenes. It is
characterized by its use of well cut stone blocks, covered afterwards with a
smooth layer of stucco; the corners are rounded; the interior benches are
wide; high towers and false temples are embedded in the principal buildings;
the vaults are made with projecting stone slabs - the beginning of the false
arch. The mos To enter Becan, the Maya built various entrances seven of which are through tombs where you can see:
In your visit to Becan, please take note: For the purpose of contributing to, the conservation of the archaeological zone and its environment, as well as for your own safety, it is recommended:
Becan represented an important political and military control place, and is the only one that was walled. The name Becan, which in Yucatec Maya means trench, is precisely named for one, which protects the most important buildings. This trench, 5m. deep, 16 m, wide and with an interior parapet, has a perimeter of almost two kilometers and encompasses 12 hectares. The access to the zone is restricted to seven entrances, each with its own bridge.
The entrance to the principal facade is formed by thick and tall columns covered with well cut and assembled stone blocks. At the center of the principal entrance is a stela, which should commemorate a relevant official event of the ruler of the site. Various of the rooms constructed on the east side were used as living quarters, and it is believed that the rooms in the interior of the group, which are up to 8 m. high and windowless, could have been used as storerooms or for religious ceremonies such as self-sacrifice, prayers or fasting.
Presently, one can visit 20 major constructions associated with plazas and patios, distributed over three hectares. Outside the protected area, however, numerous platforms, foundations and remains of simple houses belonging to the ancient population have been recorded. Becan was the political, economic and religious capital of the province know today as Rio Bec, to which the sites of Xpuhil Chicanna, Puerto Rico, Okolhuitz, Channa and Ramonal belong. It is strategically located at the based of Yucatan Peninsula, on the route which unites the river and lagoon zone of southwestern Campeche with the territories of Chetumal Bay.
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Becan is located 16 km east of
t common decorative motifs are the cross-shaped elements and
the masks of Itzmna, also called the Earth Monster.
limestone outcropping which could be interpreted as
a link between the underworld and man's creations
can be appreciated from
the plazas.
Structure X rises up to the
west and on the same central axle. From the center of the upper part of
Structure VIII, one can see the principal building of Xpuhil to the east.
The sites in the Peten Region are found to the south of Becan and to the north, the Chenes
(wells) settlements in north eastern Campeche, with whom it also maintained
relations. The earliest archeological evidence from Becan dates from 550
B.C., period in which the Olmec culture was declining at sites such as La
Venta, Tabasco. The apogee at Becan, reflected in the construction peak and
the population density, took place between 600 and 800 A.D. At this time,
Cholula recovered importance, while Tajin reached its splendor. Becan was
abandoned around 1200 A.D. when Tula and Mittla were in their period of
florescence.
