Maya Plot (Huerto Maya or Solar Maya)
The Mayan plot is an ancestral practice of eco-sustainable food and energy generation used by the Mayan ancestors since the classic period, more than 2000 years ago. In essence, a Mayan plot is a plot of land between 250 and 1,000 square meters dedicated to agricultural production and animal husbandry. Here, diversity and the use of natural resources are encouraged.
Maya House
Mayan homes were typically of two types: commoner homes and elite homes.
Commoners were the peasant class of the Mayan society which often included skilled craftsmen. The homes of the commoners were built atop dirt mounds and comprised of an oval-shaped, hut-like structure consisting of a single room. These structures were built with baked mud (a mixture made from red earth, grass, and water), walls, and a thatched roof. The interior of the commoner homes were sparsely furnished and divided with fabric curtains for privacy, and cool hammocks hung on the wall for sleeping during the day. They lack windows but have both a front and back door. These structures exhibit thermal properties: in hot weather, they feel cool, and in cold weather, they provide warmth.
The homes of the rich on the other hand were built with better masonry such as carved stones and made extensive use of limestone and mortar in their construction. These homes were well furnished, and decorated with intricate pottery and art. They were typically spacious and included rooms for steam baths.
Houses were mostly for sleeping; the activities of daily life mostly took place outside. Functional structures such as kitchens, storehouses, and workshops were generally separate from the house because it was not only sacred, it was a living entity. Doorways were open, without doors, to show hospitality. When privacy was needed, a fabric was pulled across the opening and tied to wooden pegs inserted into the walls.
Maya houses were made sacred. Making a new structure a “home,” a living entity, required an Och K’ahk’ “Enters the Fire” ceremony where fire was drilled between three hearthstones modelled after three bright stars in the Orion nebula. By installing a structure with life-heat, light, and a guardian spirit, a Maya house become a healthy and vital home. At a typical Och K’ahk' ceremony, a shaman offers a blood sacrifice, usually a bird, to entice a guardian spirit, often a deceased ancestor, to take up residence in the house to protect it and the inhabitants.