Community Wells in Caucel, Cholul, and San José Tzal: Spaces of Intangible Heritage in Mérida

Abstract

This article addresses the role of community wells as cultural assets that bring together diverse expressions of intangible cultural heritage, especially oral traditions. It begins by examining how wells have always been present in Hispanic American culture, both in stories and works of art. It indicates how, in the case of the Yucatán Peninsula, wells are fundamental because, along with cenotes, they are the only stable source of fresh water.

The objective of this article is to analyze the relationship between wells and intangible heritage, or living heritage derived from the collective imagination in public spaces. Community wells located in three historic towns of Mérida, Yucatán—Caucel, Cholul, and San José Tzal—were chosen as case studies. A qualitative methodology was used, including semi-structured informal interviews with town residents, a community forum, and participant observation of their festivals and popular celebrations.

The research revealed that intangible heritage cannot be viewed as something static and inherited from the past, but rather as a cultural element embedded in social issues and the context of its territory, especially that derived from the transmission of oral narratives. Furthermore, safeguarding the intangible heritage linked to wells contributes to their preservation as tangible assets, and vice versa. Moreover, their continued existence is crucial for remembering that groundwater is a natural resource, as well as representing the origins of communities as human settlements predating urban development and metropolitanization.