A rammed earth story in the Colla village of Nazareno (Eastern Cordillera of Salta, Argentina)

Abstract

The rammed-earth construction technique known in Nazareno as tapia majada constitutes a central element in the history of this town, located in the Eastern Cordillera of Salta. This ancestral practice is linked both to the materiality of houses and communal spaces and to agro-pastoral dynamics characterized by mobility across different ecological zones. The article analyzes the historical and cultural development of the rammed-earth construction technique in Nazareno, understood not only as a set of material procedures, but also as part of a broader building culture that articulates technical knowledge, territory, and the social memories that shape the Colla community’s ways of inhabiting the territory. On the one hand, written and graphic records were consulted in local and provincial libraries, as well as in family records, providing historical and visual sources. On the other hand, the oral memory of local inhabitants was explored through interviews and meetings. This dual perspective made it possible to bring together historical documentation and local narratives, acknowledging the plurality and tensions within these memories. The analysis reveals that tapia majada was the predominant technique in the earliest constructions that gave rise to the town. Today, although it is used alongside modern materials, the technique remains in use in dwellings, fences, and smaller structures, confirming its historical and cultural relevance in shaping the Andean territory and the collective memory of Nazareno.