In the old Xochiaca burial ground, one can hear the sound of hammers and other equipment hitting stone on Sundays. It is a town on the eastern side of Mexico City, in the Chimalhuacan region. The sounds originate from stone carvers who are continuing to practice a craft that has been handed down through the years, despite the depletion of the local stone supply. There are numerous meter-tall statues of religious figures and other exquisite stone things in the local burial ground, or cemetery. A large portion of the stonework on buildings and in parks in the downtown area of the capital was also carved by generations of stone carvers in Chimalhuacan.
The carvers here utilize solely hammers and other specialized hand tools; in other places, they long ago switched to mechanical instruments. While many have learnt on their own, some, like 86-year-old Tomás Ugarte, received formal instruction. Family members have been cutting rocks with this technique for around five generations. In general, the rock cutters are older. A decade or so ago, there were roughly 600 recognized stone carvers. According to Carolina Montesinos Mendoza of the state office that promotes traditional skills, there are likely only 300 left as of right now. Most of the carvers’ offspring do not wish to pursue the trade, and the carvers themselves are dying.
Nonetheless, the ancient customs are preserved by the stone carvers. The stone carvers in the area make mortars and pestles that are widely used. These bowl-shaped items, called “molcajetes” in Spanish, are the fundamental instrument used to make salsas. Having known the stone workers since 1990, Rev. Alberto Sandoval called them “the backbone of the community.” The majority of the carvers earn some money from their personal work areas at home. The prices at which they sell carvings range from $500 to $2,000. However, stone carvers frequently have low sales.
Leave a Reply