IN-PERSON: Prague – Section A
Abstract
The Ba’cuaana rock art site, one of the most important that the Zapotecs created on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico, was graffitied 8 years ago. Since then, in the project that I am directing on rock art in the area, various efforts have been made to protect the site. To this end, working with the community to which the site belongs has been prioritized following international guidelines (UNESCO), with the idea that the community is the one that must lead the conservation and the reconnection of the values and symbolisms of the site with the people. Although the painting of the graffiti has stopped, we have verified in these years that it has been difficult for the authorities or groups of the community to take charge in an effective and lasting way of the conservation of the site. In this paper I will present factors and aspects that we have observed during our work with this community that can help explain these difficulties. These will be grouped into 3 thematic axes: a) Heterogeneous communities: diversity of ways of life, interests, and identities; b) Heritage processes: Who decides what is heritage and how to preserve it, and c) Authorities and local groups: the difficulty of consolidating a process of conservation. After reflecting on these aspects and how they related to our previous efforts, we will present our proposals for the future to achieve a more consolidated and lasting defense of this rock art site.
Professor at the Institute of Aesthetic Research. Pre-Hispanic and colonial rock art of non-Mesoamerican and Mesoamerican tradition in the state of Durango and in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico.Defense, conservation and divulgation of rock art through collaborative work with communities. Several undergraduate and postgraduate courses at various universities in Mexico. He has directed bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral theses.Books on the archeology of northern Mexico and on colonial rock art. Texts in collective books and articles in internationally indexed journals.
Mexican archaeologist and art historian focused on studying indigenous art. For the last decade, she has specialized in rock art, carrying her research in southern México, inquiring about the relationships between rock art creation and the diverse ways of perceiving, conceptualizing, and inhabiting the environment. Along with her academic research, she has dedicated herself to the design and implementation of educational and participative strategies for the protection and conservation of cultural heritage, as well as aesthetics education. She is currently concluding a PhD program in Indigenous Art History at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Wednesday 28th June, 2023