The Last Maya Chuj Potters: Handmade Pottery Tradition in Northwestern Huehuetenango, Guatemala

Guatemala is known to the world for the legacy of the Maya culture. Different communities maintain this heritage through their oral traditions, gastronomy, costumes, and other cultural manifestations which are, despite the colonial rupture, still part of their daily life and their worldview. We present the results of the first study on pottery production using native techniques in the Chuj area, municipality of Nentón, department of Huehuetenango, Guatemala. It is a tradition preserved in the high mountains of the western part of the country, which uses the technique of coiling. Local women are the main agents of this traditional craft that is gradually being lost. The objective of this research was to identify a link between the communities and their traditions as part of their cultural resistance. It is important to record, analyse, and compare their ancestral knowledge for the future.