The influence of tourism in the production processes of obsidian handicrafts in Teotihuacán, Mexico

Abstract

This paper shows a description of the dynamics of craft production and its links with tourism in the Teotihuacán Valley, State of Mexico. This is one of the regions with the highest growth for this sector; Its main attraction is the archaeological remains of the great pre-Hispanic city of the classical period, and it has recently expanded its offer towards the use of intangible cultural heritage and natural resources. Using the qualitative approach and a descriptive strategy, the conditions in which the craft networks dedicated to the manufacture of obsidian objects operate are presented; the productive tendencies stimulated by the tourist demand; the dynamics of transmission of craft knowledge, and the way in which those who develop this activity organize themselves. It seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the close relationship between tourist activity and the cultural imaginary and the elaboration of artifacts that must serve as physical references of the trip, through identity, symbolic and aesthetic attributes.