Traditional Building Systems in the Biocultural Heritage of the Mixteca Poblana Region of Mexico

Abstract

Subsisting in the mountains of the region known as Mixteca Baja in the state of Puebla in central-southern Mexico are cultural practices and knowledge linked to traditional building systems developed since ancient times thanks to the close relationship between the inhabitants and their natural environment. This study seeks to contribute to an analysis of the surviving biocultural and constructional aspects of traditional dwellings in Mixteca Baja that are worth highlighting as an example of sustainable building. The study was conducted by the ethnographic research-action method, in collaboration with the inhabitants of San Jerónimo Xayacatlán, Puebla state, with field work including interviews with key informants who conserve knowledge of local building processes and are able to describe the value of the biocultural heritage of a region whose indigenous peoples cherish and maintain their traditions.