Labna (or Labná in Spanish orthography) is a

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...

archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...

and ceremonial center of the

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, th ...

Maya civilization The Maya civilization () of the Mesoamerican people is known by its ancient temples and glyphs. Its Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas. It is also noted for its art, archit ...

, located in the

Puuc Puuc is the name of either a region in the Mexican state of Yucatán or a Maya architectural style prevalent in that region. The word ''puuc'' is derived from the Maya term for "hill". Since the Yucatán is relatively flat, this term was ext ...

Hills region of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is situated to the south of the large Maya site of

Uxmal Uxmal (Yucatec Maya: ''Óoxmáal'' ) is an ancient Maya city of the classical period located in present-day Mexico. It is considered one of the most important archaeological sites of Maya culture, along with Palenque, Chichen Itza and Calakmul i ...

, in the southwest of the present-day state of Yucatán,

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. It was incorporated with

as a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in 1996. The site is a comparatively small and compact one. Among its notable structures is a large two-storey 'palace' (''"El Palacio"''), which is one of the longest contiguous structures in the

region at approximately 120 m (393.7 ft) in length. From the palace, a ceremonial road ('' sacbe'') extends to an elaborately decorated gateway arch (''"El Arco"''). This structure is 3 m (9.8 ft) wide and 6 m high, with well-reserved

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

s. The arch is not an entrance to the city, but rather is a passageway between public areas.Labná :: The Mayan Kingdom
/ref> Next to this gateway stands ''"El Mirador"'', a pyramid-like structure surmounted by a temple. Also on the site is the Temple of the Columns. The structural design and motifs of the site's buildings are in the Maya architecture regional style known as ''

''. This makes extensive use of well-cut stone forming patterns and depictions, including masks of the long-nosed rain-god

Chaac Chaac (also spelled Chac or, in Classic Mayan, Chaahk ) is the name of the Maya god of rain, thunder, and lighting. With his lightning axe, Chaac strikes the clouds, causing them to produce thunder and rain. Chaac corresponds to Tlaloc among ...

. The site was built in the Late and Terminal Classic era. A date corresponding to AD 862 is inscribed in the palace. The first written report of Labna was by John Lloyd Stephens who visited it with artist

Frederick Catherwood Frederick Catherwood (27 February 1799 – 27 September 1854) was an English artist, architect and explorer, best remembered for his meticulously detailed drawings of the ruins of the Maya civilization. He explored Mesoamerica in the mid 19th ...

in 1842. The site is open to visitors. As the relations between India and Mexico are warming up, India has recently unveiled a replica of the Arch at Garden of Five Senses, New Delhi as a goodwill gesture .

References

External links

Labna-Kiuic Regional Archaeological ProjectLabná web site at Reed College
Over 300 19th - 21st century photographs of Labná. . {{Authority control Maya sites in Yucatán Maya Classic Period Tourist attractions in Yucatán