Although Labna has only four main buildings, it is not to be missed because of its beautiful examples of Mayan art, especially decorating the Palace and the famous Arch of Labna. Despite the marvelous Mayan art, we found Labna, like other sites on the Ruta Puuc, to be mostly deserted. It is not a large site, so we finished our visit just after lunch time.

This is the text of the sign at the entrance:

Labna is the archeological site which exemplifies the form and composition of many of the Maya communities in the Hill Region of the Yucatan. Its principal buildings, each one of its type, are representative of the Puuc architectural styles. Evidence of the earliest occupation points to dates from around the beginning of our era. However, all the visible structures are from a later period, and underwent several construction phases, dating from between 750 and 1000 A.D. By this time, the community had reached a population of between 1,500 and 2,500 inhabitants and occupied an area covering almost 1.25 square miles. This extension included level land, several low surrounding hills and some adjoining sections to the small valley of Labna. The most voluminous structures are located on the north side of the valley; other important groups occupy some of the elevated areas bordering it, such as the residential hill of "The Twins". The population depended for the most part on the rain. They caught and stored it in a aquada (a sealed natural depression) and close to 70 chultunes, or underground, domestic cisterns, which were the only source of the vital liquid during the dry season. It is possible that Labna had formed part of a greater political unit, whose capital was Sayil, Uxmal, or some other large site in the region. However, to date there is no evidence to support this theory.

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