Tohcok
The beautiful flint knife / The place of the flint knife
Singular Maya city, small, rich and strongly hierarchical, it flourished 12 centuries ago. Two particular architectural styles dominate: Chenes and Puuc. Notable are the columns with circular base, well-braced false arches and vaulting, mosaics and masks with complicated filigree designs in stone.
About the site
The pre-Hispanic remains of Tohcok open to visitors today form only one part of the original settlement that must have covered an average of 0.8 square miles, and include two buildings that fom a large plaza. The constructions combine elements of both Chenes and Puuc architecture—a fusion of styles found in the northeast of Campeche and the southern areas of the Yucatan and the northwest of Campeche. In common with other sites, Tohcok shows the signs of an organized labor force and materials enabling the creation of monumental works produced with simple technology (equivalent to the Neolithic period). Numerous and highly skilled workers evidently succeeded in producing astronomical orientations and moving enormous stone blocks. This site was inhabited by a society with few rulers, who were viewed as sacred beings on account of their relationship with the gods. However, many people provided water, foodstuffs, products and the necessary muscle. It should be recalled that the Maya did not use the wheel for technical uses, nor did they have beasts for carrying or pulling loads.
Did you know...
- A hacienda called Tacoh or Tacoc prospered in the mid-nineteenth century near the pre-Hispanic remains.
- The buildings currently open to the public in Tohcok are just a small part of the ancient city. Many mounds on nearby plots of land have yet to be explored.
- The site’s only hieroglyphic records were reported in mural paintings that have now disappeared.
- The pointed vaulted ceilings in Tohcok are unusual but similar examples have been also found in Uxmal, Edzna and Sayil.
An expert point of view
Antonio Benavides Castillo
Centro INAH Campeche
Practical information
Monday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00 hrs.
Free entry
Se localiza a 6 km al poniente del municipio de Hopelchén, Estado de Campeche.
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+52 (981) 816 8179
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+52 (981) 816 9111, exts. 138016 y 138017