Sacbe facts for kids
Imagine ancient highways built by the amazing Maya people! These special roads are called sacbeob (say: sah-KAY-ob), or sacbe (say: sah-KAY) for one. The word "sacbe" comes from the Maya language and means "white road." They were called "white" because they were often covered with a white plaster or stucco. This covering was placed over a base of stone and rubble.
Most sacbeob connected important places within Maya cities. They linked temples, open squares (plazas), and groups of buildings. Some sacbeob were much longer. They connected different cities across the land.
What Does "Sacbe" Mean?
The main part of the word "Sacbe" is "Beh." This is a Maya word for "road," "pathway," or "trail." You might see it spelled in different ways, like Be, bej, or beel.
For the Maya, "Beh" meant more than just a physical road. It also had a deeper, more important meaning. It could refer to "the road of life."
When the Spanish arrived, they translated "Sacbe" as "calzada." This Spanish word means "main road" or "highway." So, "Sacbe" literally means "white road." It describes the large, built roads of the Maya that had a white surface.
Sacbeob You Can See Today
Many sacbeob are still visible at ancient Maya sites. One famous sacbe is at Chichen Itza. It runs from the main area around El Castillo to the Sacred Cenote. A cenote is a natural sinkhole filled with water.
Few of the very long sacbeob still exist completely. A well-known sacbe connects Uxmal with Kabah. This road has special corbel arches at both ends. For many years, the longest known sacbe was about 62 miles (100 km) long. It connected the ancient cities of Coba and Yaxuna.
Recently, archaeologists have found an even longer route. This very long sacbe might have run for about 300 km. It stretched from the site of Ti'ho (now Mérida, Yucatán) to the Caribbean Sea. It passed through sites like Ake and Izamal. Today, some old sacbeob are used as bases for modern roads or railway lines.
How Sacbeob Were Used
Sacbeob were important for religious journeys. People would travel along them for special ceremonies. An early explorer named John Lloyd Stephens visited Yucatán in the 1840s. He reported that some local Maya people still said a short prayer when crossing a sacbe. This was true even though the roads had been covered by jungle for centuries. Stephens was excited to find these large, well-built sacbeob. He had heard about them but thought the stories might be exaggerated.
Sacbeob also had many practical uses. Longer sacbeob helped with trade and sending messages. The Maya did not have animals like horses or donkeys to carry goods. So, traders likely walked along the sacbeob regularly. The Maya also used water routes for travel. Along large sacbeob, archaeologists have found mounds. These are often thought to be the remains of huts or rest stops for travelers.
Natives told John Lloyd Stephens that ancient Maya messengers used sacbeob. They delivered messages between big cities. At Ake in the Yucatán, several sacbeob lead directly to cenotes. Cenotes were important religious places and sources of clean water.
At Coba, you can still see more than 50 sacbeob. Some experts think that certain sacbeob helped divide the city's population. Coba had about 55,000 people. The roads might have split them into at least four neighborhoods. Many smaller sacbeob were located near water sources. They were also found in busy areas like ceremonial centers.
Two much larger sacbeob connected Coba to smaller sites. One went to Yaxuna, almost 100 km to the west. The other went to Ixil, about 20 km to the southwest. Coba was the only major city in its area during the Classic Period. So, Yaxuna and Ixil are believed to have been smaller towns or outposts of Coba. Coba would have been the main capital of their state.
Some sacbeob in the northwest Yucatán were built during times of conflict. They were also built when the population grew fast and people moved around. Some researchers believe they were "permanent markers." They showed the connections between big cities and smaller towns. They also helped mark and keep political borders.
While sacbeob in the Yucatán are most famous, they are found elsewhere. Many sacbeob have been found around El Mirador and Tikal. These sites are in the northern Petén Basin. Others are around Copan in the southern Guatemalan Highlands. They are also found at other Maya sites.
See also
In Spanish: Sacbé para niños
