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Almost one hundred cobble-stone roads found in Chichén Itzá
Notimex El Financiero Mérida, Yucatán
They served as social, political, religious and commercial ties to the great population centers. INAH (National Institute of Anthropology and History) reiterates that more than 90 roads have been spotted
 Consequent to recent archaeological Works in the zone of Chichén Itzá, in Yucatán, almost a hundred "sacbeob" (Stone roads), have been spotted, a road network attesting to the strict political control the great city was under.
Archaeologist Peter Schmidt, from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), informed that the studies were centered on a "sacbé" between the large platform of the “El Castillo” (The Castle) group, and the “Osario” (ossuary) platform group.
Schmidt, having participated in archaeological works for 48 years in the old city, reiterated that more than 90 roads have been presently found “though this does not mean they have been totally explored, however, we have significant samples that have been excavated and restored” .
In the Maya area, the "sacbeob" (cobble-stone roads of up to 45ft of height) held a fundamental role, as social, political, religious and economic ties between the large population centers and smaller communities that depended on them.
These roads were used to transport merchandises and building materials, they were also used by pilgrims and merchants. The "sacbeob" network attests to the strict internal political control Chichén Itzá exerted during the height of its dominance when it extended over 25 to 30 square kilometers.
The "sacbeob" were civil Works also related to the conduction and management of Chichén Itzá. The Yucatán península gets an average of 1,200 millimeters of rain per year.
Due to this rainfall, the Settlers of Chichén Itzá, modified their surrounding roads and their buildings in order to capture the largest possible amounts of water, although they also had around 15 “cenotes” (groundwater sinkholes characteristic to the area).
The roads also display a adaptations in their construction meant to avoid water stagnation by means of channels that crossed their width with two drain holes, most of them, to let water into lower lands. Email to a friend
Source: http://www.presidencia.gob.mx/
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