Hands in clay: Atzompa with Archaeological Zone
You will start the day in the house-workshop of “Los Ardillas”, there you’ll meet them and you’ll meet with Josué who will guide your tour to the archaeological zone of Atzompa (Walk of approx 50 min or car approx 10 min), once in the archaeological zone you can observe the monumental Zapotec complexes, enjoy the view of nature and on the other side that of the city of Oaxaca.
When you return, a delicious lunch prepared at home awaits you with a conviviality that feels familiar, then you’ll advance to the clay workshop, each member of the family has their own technique, they will explain the process of how they remove the mud, how the mixture is made, the tools they use, etc. To finish with the most fun and expected! Make your own pieces! You will have the opportunity to make your piece in an electric lathe, a manual wheel lathe or a manual table lathe, you can play with the mud and see the drying method, decorated and painted.
Once finished, your piece will be allowed to dry for 5 to 7 days so that it dehydrates evenly and does not crack. The next time the family bakes their pieces, we can send them back to Tlayudona to be picked up. (Schedule your clay experience at the beginning of your trip so we can deliver your finished piece before you leave! If the pieces are baked prematurely, they will crack or may even explode in the oven). We also handle shipments, with the cost on your own.
What to Expect
Step Two: Once we’ve found a date that works for our hosts and for your group, we will send you a Paypal request for a deposit for your experience or an invitation to sign up using our website calendar. (Feel free to check our calendar for the experiences we currently have confirmed!) *
*Your experience will be open to additional folks to join unless your group is composed of 6+ people or you reserve a private experience at an additional cost.
You can see our refund policy here.
Step Three: We will meet you at Tlayudona, located inside the Plaza San Cristóbal in street M. Bravo 210 local C, Centro.
Experience Includes
- Transportation. Leaving from/returning to Tlayudona
- Visit to our host’s home studio in Atzompa
- Guide to the Atzompa archaeological site (approximately a 50-minute walk or about a 10-minute drive)
- Talk given by our clay experts
- Personalized instruction on how to create art out of pottery, catered to your level of experience
- All materials necessary to create your pieces
- Traditional meal made by our host family
- Translation from Spanish to English if/when necessary
- Firing of your pieces, their delivery to Tlayudona within 15 days of your experience*
*We are not responsible for accidents or pieces breaking in the kiln. Nature is at play here and there is a factor of chance, as well as weather and other influences. Our hosts will guide you on how to create pieces that will be most likely to dry and cook without cracking. Your hosts are responsible for delivering your pieces to Tlayudona for pick-up. If your group does not have 15 days of travel to guarantee your pieces’ arrival, we can arrange to ship your pieces to you at your own expense. You are also welcome to take your pieces “as-is” (to be kept as a souvenir or fired for greater durability at a later point at your home location.
Logistics and Cost
Time Involvement – Approximately 8 or 9 hours
Schedule: 8:00 am -4:30 pm
Transportation –From / To Tlayudona
Costs and Minimums – 2,850 MXN pp
Children – Are invited to participate at same cost due to materials.
There is a minimum of 3 people required to schedule this experience.