In 1842, the American traveler John Lloyd Stephens and his companion, the
artist Frederick Catherwood, awakened the world to the forgotten cities of the
Bolonchen district of Yucatan. Two of the ruins they first visited, Labna and
Kiuic, are preeminent examples of the unique architectural style developed in
the Puuc hills between approximately A.D. 700-900.
The Proyecto Labna-Kiuic was initiated to better understand the genesis of set-
tlement within this region, one of the most densely occupied zones of the Maya
lowlands. With this comes the responsibility to study and protect the natural
surroundings of these two sites. Kiuic lies within one of the best remaining
tracts of primary forest in the Bolonchen hills. We hope that the following
pages will convey some of the beauty and excitement of these testaments to the
genius of Maya civilization.
Kaxil-Kiuic Bioreserve