Every once in a while I am surprised to learn that an area I have driven by dozens of times is actually home to an archaeological site I had no idea was there.
This was the case a couple of weekends ago when my friend Roque and I found out about the existence of a recently restored site just a few kilometers from Hopelchén, Campeche.
There are literally thousands of archaeological sites of varying sizes dotting the Yucatán Peninsula, several being very hard to get to, but as it happens Tohcok lay right on the side of the highway.
Now, I could be forgiven for never having noticed Tohcok before as the area’s lush vegetation completely shrouded the ancient city until very recently.
Tohcok, also known as Tacó, was first uncovered in 1845 during the construction of a nearby hacienda. The site was likely plundered for construction materials, as was common in the past, but was otherwise mostly ignored for another century.
In 1951, Tohcok was rediscovered and documented by Edwin Shook and the Russian-born Tatiana Proskouriakoff, one of the first and greatest women in Mesoamerican archaeology.
In the Yucatec-Maya language, Tohcok roughly translates as “the place of the precious flint knife.”
Like many Puuc sites in the region, Tohcok was likely founded sometime between the 1st and 3rd century CE, but saw its zenith around the 8th or 9th.
The site was actually cleared and opened to the public briefly in 2019, but was shut down until last December, due to the “unpleasantness.”
But to say that Tohcok lay just to the side of the highway may actually not be technically correct, as the road from Hopelchén to the city of Campeche seems to actually bisect the site.
This idea is supported by the fact that the mounds of several structures can be seen to the west of the highway.
Just like Chunhuhub, which we covered last week, Tohcok rarely receives visitors. Indeed, the INAH guard seemed genuinely excited to see other people to show around the site.
The remains of Tohcok’s restored main plaza are framed by a once multi-level Puuc palatial structure, a vaulted architectural complex simply called Structure II, and an extremely ornate ceremonial platform.
Though Tohcok certainly bears many of the tell-tale markings of a Puuc city, elements of Chenes style architecture can also easily be seen in much of its decorative elements.
Structure II is notable for its several corbel-arched paths and niches, which were likely used for ritual purposes.
Despite its relatively small size, one of the most remarkable structures found in Tohcok is a ceremonial platform sporting several Chaac rain god masks along its base.
Another of Tohcok’s most notable features is the remains of murals likely dating to the 9th century CE.
During my research, I came across an article describing the scene of Tohcok’s murals in great detail. It seems clear that for some reason, likely conservation, most of the mural has been removed, as the section still visible at the site is of only one panel.
If you go
Getting to Tohcok is fairly easy from both Campeche and Mérida, as the roads are quite good. That being said there is no signage leading to the site up until you are virtually on top of it, so a navigation app such as Google maps is likely to come in handy.
If you are traveling from Mérida, the best route is to pass by Uxmal and Santa Elena, taking the old highway to Campeche. You will also pass the exit to Santa Rosa Xtampak, which is very much also worth a visit, though the final 15 or so miles to the site can be extremely rough unless you have a 4×4 — especially during the rainy season.
Entrance to Tohcok is free and as with all INAH archaeological sites is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
