San Gabriel azteca cemetery as heritage to save people s identity

This paper aims to explain the complex process of impoverishment of a small Mexican village called San Gabriel Azteca, Zempoala, Hidalgo. This village is close to disappearing due to urbanization. In the name of progress and for hygienic reasons the local cemetery will be removed. However, it serves as a milestone site and acts as a sign of tangible and intangible heritage. This study uses several methodologies to examine the tangible heritage through topographical survey, dug trench, architectural survey of the tombs and census of burials. Another way, it is dedicated to investigate the intangible heritage through interviews in order to know traditions related to the cemetery space use and the burial process. We get a physical cemetery catalogue. Moreover, we also found that cemetery keeps many memories that can explain the events that led the community to the deterioration state. People s stories reflected the political and economic events in the country. The stories explain as well the loss of social and economic values and even the loss of the people themselves in the process of migration. The negative effect of evolution can be explained by Holing s ecological resilience model. It shows that heritage is the last vestige of cohesion from which village can re-emerge.