Let us start our tour at one of the largest traditional houses in Yucatán, the Casa de Toj2. This house was built of wood and weathered with a mixture of clay and grass more than 100 years ago by Don Victoriano, the father of Don Bartolomé Matu, or Don Bartolo remembered that he used to crawl on the floor of this house at the foot of his mother Doña Candelaria.
When Don Bartolo was grown, he and his father converted the house to mamposteria, a conglomerate of stones and rocks that comprise the overall makeup of the wall, with the larger stones stacked upon one another and the smaller rocks wedged in the gaps to support the rocks for stability, much like what can be seen in the creative design of the white-washed walls that surround most properties in the pueblos of Yucatan.
At a time, Don Bartolo and his father expanded and squared the footprint of the house, which of course increased the size of the roof. Don Bartolo would grow up with his siblings in this home and eventually raise his own family here. Eventually the family sold the property and purchased other properties in the pueblo.
Ownership changed from Don Bartolo to Anneke deVries and her husband from Holland. The couple completely reconstructed the roof of the house, added a bathroom, a palapa, and two bungalow rooms on the property. But after he passed away, “Ana” had put the property up for sale as she could not continue to maintain the roof any longer.
At this time, two anthropologists living in the pueblo due to a shared love-interest for the Mayan Culture and its conservation, found the means to purchase the property through hard work and dedication. Then, true to his trade and dedicated to contributing to the conservation of the Mayan tradition in their village, Don Hector and Don Triste replaced the entirety of the aging palm leaves interwoven in its roof, as well as all necessary wood pieces forming the roof structure, requiring well over 5000 palm leaves harvested from the private properties in the pueblo, and dozens of wooden poles and branches from the countryside.
These days, Maestro Don Hector has dedicated himself and the property to the conservation of the Local Environmental Knowledge of the region, receiving local, national and international volunteers throughout the year in our mission to preserve the last few traditional Mayan homes in Chicxulub Pueblo, at no cost to the elders who prefer to remain in the homes of their families who lived there before them, where they grew up, and where they raised their children.
Also, the descendants of the elders mostly do not know how to cut palm leaves, dry them, or install them in the rustic roofs of their grandparents. And if regular roof maintenance is ignored, water begins to seep in, rotting the wood structure below and causing infirmities in the aging inhabitants, who would just like to live in the home they built for themselves so many years ago.
If you would like to know more about how you can help us to rescue, preserve, and maintain these historic testaments to the most natural and organic form of human perseverance: educate yourself, educate others, and find a way to contribute to the well-being of your fellow human beings and the conservation of our shared cultural heritage.
With your generous contribution to the cause, whether it be volunteering or monetary, comes a ray of hope for families in need of roof repairs. But also, your donation helps to preserve and promote the cultural legacy of Mayan houses for the benefit of future generations. Together, we can ensure that this invaluable cultural tradition endures and continues to inspire the communities of tomorrow. Every contribution counts and makes a difference! CLICK ON THE CASA DE TOJ2 LOGO TO CONTRIBUTE 🙂