Situated on the Ruta Rio Bec, Becán was explored for the first time in 1934. Its sophisticated palace and numerous inter-connected squares demonstrate that this was an important political centre capable of controlling its neighbouring villages. As its name suggests, the site is surrounded by a ditch (wider than it is high), forming a defensive perimeter around the city, which thrived from the 7C to the 9C, before falling into decline around the year 1200. The left side of structure 10 has retained a magnificent stucco carving.