CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTHWEST GUATEMALA—McBRYDE 45 
Solola, a departmental capital with a high proportion 
of tile-roofed dwellings) every settlement has a pre- 
ponderance of grass roofs, in keeping with more 
primitive architectural forms. 
The only thatching material common to both High- 
lands and Lowlands is grass (paja or pajon); the 
tough, coarse bunchgrass (Muhlenbergia sp.) in the 
mountains; the high savanna grass in the Coastal 
Plain and piedmont.®* Such grass-thatched roofs are 
generally called by the Spanish, pajizo. Though most 
of the giant bunchgrass of the summit lands grows 
above about 2,500 m. (8,202 ft.) elevation, in places 
it is abundant at 2,400 m. (7,874 ft.), especially where 
the soil is poor, as around Pié de Volcan (pl. 38, d; 
see also pls. 30, 32). 
Grass is cut off at the base, gathered in sheaves 
usually from 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm.) in diameter 
(pls. 10, b; 39, b), and tied, with bunches slightly 
overlapping laterally, to the horizontal roof rods, 
with the leaves pointing downward.®* In the High- 
lands the usual binder is unspun agave fiber, whereas 
in the coastal Lowlands and boca costa, rubbery 
bejucos (vines) are generally employed, as they are 
abundant while agave is, scarce or unavailable. It is 
necessary for Highland builders below the M/uhlen- 
bergia sp. zone to purchase pajon or else to climb up 
into the high mountains and get it. In Panajachel it 
is bought, and the chief source of supply was said to 
be the elevated country around Concepcion. Wau- 
chope’s Panajachel informant “had to ‘go higher up’ 
to get it.”. He reported 150 sheaves necessary to roof 
a small kitchen (Wauchope, 1938, p. 108). 
The widespread distribution of grass thatch may be 
seen in map 14, the maximum concentration being 
around Lake Atitlan. High, alpine sheepherders’ 
huts are usually walled as well as roofed with 
Muhlenbergia sp. 
Palm.—That the choice of house materials used, 
especially in the Lowlands, is largely a matter of 
availability of suitable plants in the local environ- 
ment, is well illustrated in the use of palms for thatch. 
Near the sea, Inodes sp. (palma del mar) seems to 
rank first in importance; Orbignya cohune (corozo), 
occurring mainly somewhat farther inland, is second- 
ary. The latter, however, is the chief roof thatch in 
the zone of its maximum abundance, for the most part 
® For the main buildings and larger Ladino houses in the Lowlands, 
tile is also used, and in some sections corrugated iron is even more 
common. 
®Jn all thatching I have seen, grass, palm, Calathea, cane, etc., the 
deaf is invariably pointed downward. Wauchope also reports this 
(1938). 
below about 100 or 150 m. (328-492 ft.) and exclu- 
sive of the littoral. It is usually called manaco 
through this section. In the higher ground approach- 
ing the piedmont, corozo is little used, and gives way 
to other more readily available leaves. The highest 
elevation at which I have seen corozo thatch is at San 
Sebastian Retalhuleu (350 m. or 1,148 ft.), where it 
is an important economic plant used in making rain- 
capes (swyacales) and fire fans (sopladores). Other 
palms are sometimes used to a limited extent for 
thatching. 
Wauchope names four main areas of palm thatch in 
Guatemala: (1) The dry eastern area (especially 
Zacapa—Chiquimula) ; (2) southern Vera Paz (Alta 
and Baja); (3) west coast below 250 m. (820 ft.) ; 
(4) Petén (Wauchope, 1938, p. 106). Sapper men- 
tions a large fan palm used for thatch in the Kekchi 
area of northern Alta Vera Paz. He emphasizes, how- 
ever, the fact that it is employed only on temporary 
shelters (Wetterschirmen). 
The early use of corozo for thatch is attested to by 
Oviedo, who mentions it in this connection shortly 
after the Conquest (1851-55, vol. 1, p. 333). 
Calathea spp.—tin the independent Lowland village 
section (from Santo Domingo Suchitepequez to 
Santo Tomas la Union) of the boca costa.and Coastal 
Plain, between about 200 and 800 m. (656 and 2,625 
ft.) elevation, these broad-leaved plants are employed 
almost exclusively for thatch (pl. 3, b,c). There are 
two species, the hoja de sal, commoner (occurring 
even in pure stands, and often planted) in lower, open 
savanna patches, and hoja maxan,® apparently a 
shade-tolerant species of higher, more wooded levels 
(also planted). As to the use of the latter for thatch, 
it is certainly less common than /ioja de sal, for it was 
reported only at Santo Tomas, and I did not verity 
the statement. The larger hoja de sal is much used, 
being the only thatch apparent in Samayac, San Pablo 
Jocopilas, and San Bernardino (at the latter, roof 
eaves are unusually low). 
At Mazatenango a man with an oxcart load of 
hoja de sal (12 bunches, each of 700 leaves, worth 10 
cents a bunch) said that 12 or 13 bunches are enough 
to roof a house 4 by 5 varas (1 vara = 33 in.), and 
that the roof lasts about 5 years (pl. 3, a). This 
agreed with the estimate of an informant at San 
Pablo Jocopilas, who said that 30 bunches of 700 
leaves were needed for a house of 5 by 10 varas. 
87 My identification of these two, based upon Standley’s ‘‘Flora of 
Lancetilla Valley,” is given in Appendix 3, p. 148, along with a discus- 
sion of uses, differences, and nomenclature. 
