Overview
The construction of mud or clay houses, known as quincha houses, is a traditional building practice commonly found in rural and semi-urban areas in many parts of Panama. These homes are made using a mix of clay soil, hay and natural fibres, along with wood and plants to support the structure. This construction process – called a 'junta de embarre' – requires deep knowledge of local materials and the environment, as well as skill in mixing, shaping and assembling the components. The techniques for building quincha houses are passed down informally, especially during community events called mud meetings, when people of all ages come together to learn, help and celebrate. Participants are taught how to prepare and stamp the clay mixture, apply it to walls and build the structure. The practice reinforces values such as teamwork, cooperation and mutual support. It involves several roles,...
This record is imported from the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage public dataset as discovery metadata. ARED has not independently verified community authority, access protocols or local naming beyond the source record.
Community and Authority
- Communities
- Panama
- Languages
- Not specified in UNESCO dataset
- Cultural territories
- Panama
- Countries
- Panama
How the System Works
The construction of mud or clay houses, known as quincha houses, is a traditional building practice commonly found in rural and semi-urban areas in many parts of Panama. These homes are made using a mix of clay soil, hay and natural fibres, along with wood and plants to support the structure. This construction process – called a 'junta...
Sources and Evidence
Imported from UNESCO DataHub dataset ich001. Field-level provenance is retained in the record metadata.
Field-Level Provenance
- title
- UNESCO DataHub field title_en
- preferredTitle
- UNESCO DataHub field title_fr
- summary
- UNESCO DataHub field description_en
- type
- UNESCO DataHub fields type_of_element_en and type_acronym
- countries
- UNESCO DataHub field countries, ISO codes resolved with ISO-3166 regional metadata
- categories
- ARED category inference from UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names and title
- relationships
- UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names, type fields and World Heritage links
- sourceUrl
- UNESCO DataHub field http_url_en
- rights
- UNESCO DataHub dataset metadata license and license_url
Original Source Metadata
Why This Record Is Credible
This public record is connected to 1 source and has been labelled Source Supported. ARED separates evidence sources from cultural authority so users can see both provenance and review limits.
Cultural Access
Use this as public discovery metadata only. It does not replace community authority or local access protocols.
Relationships
Review and Corrections
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