Cultural heritage assets must be evaluated and structurally conserved through the lens of the cultural context in where they were originally created. This necessitates employing vernacular techniques that have organically evolved within the local culture. Therefore, familiarity with cultural nuances and technical subtleties plays an essential role in facilitating both the structural conservation and the continuity of vernacular building traditions. The distinguished adobe architecture of the Yazd-Ardakan plain, which encompasses numerous historical houses and structures, is no exception to this principle. This architecture is rich in techniques and methods whose precise effects on the seismic behavior of the structure have not only been less studied experimentally and numerically, but whose identification and classification have also largely fallen outside the scope of researchers' attention. Accordingly, the present study aims to experimentally investigate the in-plane seismic behavior of adobe walls constructed using a vernacular Yazdi masonry technique called "Pech," in which all vertical joints between adobe bricks are filled with mud mortar, and by adobe units. The adobe units used—known as Khesht-e Āb-Māl—were produced following traditional earthen fabrication methods. Four wall specimens were prepared for testing: two using traditional Pech technique and two using standard, non-traditional configurations. Each wall measured 100 cm in length, 90 cm in height, and 20 cm in thickness. The specimens were subjected to a constant vertical load of 0.2 MPa along with cyclic lateral loading to simulate in-plane seismic forces. The experimental results demonstrate that integrating vernacular construction knowledge significantly enhances the shear resistance, in-plane stiffness, and energy dissipation capacity of adobe walls. These findings emphasize the potential of compatible reinforcement strategies rooted in local seismic culture, not only for improving seismic resilience but also for sustaining the cultural continuity of traditional earthen construction.