Towards the continuity of the places of the adobe house in Metepec, Morelos

Abstract

To speak about places inside the adobe house brings us to constructions with no value, belonging to the past, without imagining that within them converge the material and immaterial cultural heritage, and its continuity constitutes the legacy of the current and following generations. The extended family produces places such as the cuezcomate, the tlecuil and the altar; rooted to the adobe house through its symbolic appropriation, derived from its use and sacred meanings. In Metepec, Morelos, a community located in the foothills of the Popocatepetl volcano, there is the largest number of adobe houses in the region with the singular places mentioned above. However, after the 2017 earthquake, 30% of these houses were lost, and with them the cultural places and practices. This work focuses on reactivating the continuity process of the cuezcomate, the tlecuil and the altar, through the involvement of local actors in the stages of knowledge, valuation and transmission, aimed to the strengthening of local habitation and the acknowledgement of cultural knowledge. For the continuity process, cultural heritage is linked to groups of senior adults, adults, and children, through architectural educational strategies and the implementation of actions. The relevant findings were to expose how the actions of smoothing the tlecuil, placing offerings, revaluing and rehabilitating the cuezcomate, constitute a process that ensures the lasting and sustainable continuity of the places within the adobe house.