La casa maya contemporánea. Usos, costumbres y configuración espacial

Abstract

Rural habitation is an essential part of Mexican cultural wealth, reflecting not only the traditional and daily activities of their residents, but also the idea of refuge and environmental coexistence, concepts that have been inherited via construction activities from a very distant past. The conceptualization of the Mayan rural house requires a vision that includes not only the formal aspect —i. e. morphological— but also an anthropological analysis of space use around the structure, including its biotic qualities, a methodology that allows us to incorporate the rural house within the context of its environment. Also, morphological studies do not have to stop with the analysis of the house structure, but can go further a field and look at the surrounding lot and its habitat, as these areas maintain a strong relationship with agricultural activities and communal existence. The diverse traditions that have emerged from the common habitation are intimately bound to the space configurations of the house and its surrounding lot, and for this reason the morphology of the contemporary Mayan house should be analyzed from both perspectives, thus maximizing our comprehension of the changes that are occurring today.