right|thumb|Sacbe at Dzibilchaltun in the Yucatán
thumb|right|Arch at the end of the sacbé, Kabah, Yucatán
A sacbe, plural sacbeob (Yucatec Maya: singular sakbej, plural sakbejo'ob), or "white road", is a raised paved road built by the Maya civilization of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Most connect temples, plazas, and groups of structures within ceremonial centers or cities, but some longer roads between cities are also known. The term "sacbe" is Yucatec Maya for "white road"; white perhaps because there is evidence that they were originally coated with limestone stucco or plaster, which was over a stone and rubble fill. Although great progress has been made on determining the roles of sacbeob in Maya society, the decision to construct sacbeob as opposed to smaller, less complicated paths is puzzling to experts. Without a profound reliance on beasts of burden to transport goods, it remains partially unclear why the Maya decided to expend so much labor constructing these impressive roads. However, it remains a very plausible theory that the Sacbe held significant spiritual and religious value, in the sense that the actual trekking of the Sacbe itself seemed to be a spiritual journey of sorts.
Sacbeob constructed of these materials are especially important to contemporary studies of Maya sites, as they preserve well, making them capable of providing invaluable evidence to archaeologists. Maya "Sacbeob varied greatly in construction, length, width, and function" according to a 2015 study done on the sacbeob of Ceren. The word "Beh" operates as the root term for "Sacbe". Beh is spelled alternately as Be, bej, bey, be, bih, as well as "beel" in the possessive.
It has many distinctions from English concepts of roads, pathways, or trails. Beh's metaphoric meanings are just as important if not more important than its literal meaning of "road." Ethnographers working the lowlands have noted that it means "more than the road you see with your eyes." The term Beh refers to "the road of life".
In an effort to map Maya sacbeob more effectively, researchers have more recently turned to radar imaging. This form of mapping has the power to penetrate dense forest cover to reveal the sacbeob below, and is a sound alternative to LiDAR or traditional mapping practices, as they are often time-consuming and costly. Travel writer and early Mayanist John Lloyd Stephens reported that some local Maya people in Yucatán still said a short ritual prayer when crossing a sacbe in the early 1840s, even though they had been overgrown with jungle for centuries at the time. He is said to have been pleased to have discovered evidence of large, well-constructed sacbeob, reports of which he had previously believed to be exaggerations on the part of the Spanish conquistadores. These preliminary reports included that of Diego López de Cogolludo, a chronicler from the 16th or 17th century, who noted that "there are remains of paved highways which traverse all this kingdom".
Sacbeob had a number of practical uses in addition to any religious significance they may have had. In addition to their large spiritual significance, archeologists have long used the Sacbe to construct and understand the political and economic systems of the Maya. By understanding the larger connection between settlements along the Sacbe, archeologists have been able to gain a larger understanding into the political and social network that the Sacbe facilitated. Longer sacbeob could be used for trade and communication. The Maya did not have a beast of burden suitable for carrying goods over long distances, so it is likely that the sacbeob would have been regularly walked by traders, though the Maya are also known to have used water routes. There is a wealth of evidence of mounds, often interpreted as remains of huts or way stations for travelers, along large sacbeob.
Sacbeob have been found to be in close association with water sources at many sites, including the Sacred Cenote of Chichen Itza, which acts as a terminal point for a local sacbe. Other sites have reservoirs positioned closely to sacbeob, including the site at Caracol. Many smaller sacbeob fall in places around sources of water or other high-traffic areas like ceremonial or administrative centers. Extensive research at Coba, including the use of imaging technology, has revealed that the sacbeob here are not as straight as previously thought. Furthermore, it seems that settlements continue to follow the path of the sacbe for some time as it leads out of the central portion of the site. This information shows just how influential these causeways were in the lives of local residents. Examination of the Coba-Yaxuna sacbe yielded an especially important find: a five-ton stoneroller resting atop the surface of the sacbe. It is believed that this roller was used to compact the surface of the sacbe to ensure a smooth, uniform walking surface. It is also important to note that the sacbeob at Cerèn were used as an evacuation route after the Loma Caldera eruption of the San Salvador volcano.
While the sacbeob in the Yucatán are the best known, they are documented elsewhere in the Maya area. A number of sacbeob have been found around El Mirador and Tikal in the northern Petén Basin and around Copan in the southern Guatemalan Highlands, as well as at other sites.
The territory of the Maya at its height was expansive, and included many different types of terrain, climate, and ecological zones. Therefore, those constructing the sacbeob had to take into account the conditions of their specific region to ensure the longevity of the sacbeob. At the site of Cerèn, drainage was required on the sides of the sacbe, as well as regular maintenance by laborers due to the wet conditions in this area.
Besides practical function, the symbolic functions of sacbeob are critical to understanding their significance in Maya culture. Sacbeob served to provide both a physical and symbolic link between two places. It is argued that this link served as a reminder of the relationship between the groups that occupied a specific sacbe. By jointly participating in the construction and frequent maintenance of these roadways, it is believed that societies could further solidify their allyship.
Cosmic and ceremonial reference
Movement may hold a certain ceremonial and spiritual power in Maya culture. According to some Mayan beliefs some forms of illness can be diagnosed by the movement of various forces through the body and the world. Rituals, including curing the sick, pilgrimage, procession, and dedication, involve movement as a generative source of power, capable of change and influence. It has been recorded that "sacbeob were frequently joined to important temple and palace architecture by ramps or stairways, making them part of large, complex ritual stations", further highlighting their religious importance.