Bécan

 
More Mayan ruins in the Río Bec style are found at Becán (Mayan "moat"), only 4km/2.5mi further down MEX 186 past Xpuhil on the right, again not far from the road. They include palaces with the typical "false" (in this case, twin) towers, a pyramid with a temple, altars and a ball court. The site was enclosed within a man-made moat or ditch, begun in the Classic period but never completed.

Structures I-IV, dating for the most part from the final phase of building (ad 550-830) stand grouped around the first plaza. Structure IV (north side) with its huge external staircase is perhaps the most interesting on the site. Some relief sculptures still survive intact on the south facing walls of the upper building. On the north side are several chambers and terraces, their numerous doorways framed with decorative stonework.

The twin towered Structure VIII on the south side of the adjacent Central Plaza has a small entrance leading into several interconnecting rooms. Structure IX on the north side, still to be excavated, is Becán's tallest, rising some 32 m (105 ft) into the air. The great majority of the many buildings on the site are still wholly or partially hidden beneath a blanket of subtropical vegetation.
Address: Campeche Archeological Sites, Chicanná, Campeche , Mexico
Hours:
8am-5pm

More Mexico Attractions View All

Suggest Correction  Suggest an Attraction
©Copyright 1995-2012 PlanetWare Inc. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized duplication in part or whole without prior written consent prohibited by international laws.
x
Pictures of Mexico
The predominantly Baroque facade of the Cathedral on the Zócalo in Mexico City. Be sure to check out our awesome photos of Mexico!