Resumo

DANEELS, Annick  e  GUERRERO, Luis. La Joya, Veracruz, a Prehispanic Site Made of Earth: Construction Systems and Conservation Tests in a Humid Tropical Environment. Intervención (Méx. DF) [online]. 2012, vol.3, n.6, pp.34-43. ISSN 2007-249X.

The pre-Columbian site known as La Joya, on the coastal plain of the State of Veracruz, Mexico, flourished during the first millennium AD and was built entirely with raw earth. This study is of crucial interest because, unlike the earthen architecture sites which have been explored and preserved in Mexico, and which are predominantly located in arid regions, this site is set in a humid tropical environment. From archaeological research at the site and the work of consolidation that has taken place recently, it has been possible to adequately stabilize the main pyramid, despite the adverse weather conditions, so that the possibility has arisen of opening the site to the public. The purpose is to create a space for community participation and a tourist attraction, where local residents, and foreign and national visitors alike, can appreciate this singular example of archaeological heritage of the tropical lowlands on the Gulf of Mexico. This article presents some of the results of the mineralogical studies that have been made to identify the materials and construction systems of this archaeological site, the conservation tests that have been applied to the pyramid's facade, and the proposal for the visitor centre.

Palavras-chave : Raw earth; humid tropics; pre-Columbian architecture; conservation.