Home Architecture Talk
How is architecture important to the Anasazi tribe?
How is architecture important to the Anasazi tribe?
Public Comments
- Because they lived on the side of EFFING CLIFFS. No go do your own homework and stop bothering us.
- As typically happens architecture is born from the needs, materials and form used by the Anasazi. As seen in their ceremonial building called the Kiva the architecture served to reinforce key cultural activities. The key materials used were adobe and timber with some stonework. Modern research indicates that the Anasazi grew so did their use of timber. The unsustainable environmental changes that resulted caused the total collapse of their culture. IN DETAIL ---------------- Anasazi architecture evolved from cave dwellings to pit-houses to above ground buildings of adobe or stone. This reflects the development from scattered settlements into towns which typically reflects an increasingly elaborate society and culture. Check out this excellent site which has drawings and detailed descriptions of the building types and the culture they reflected: http://sipapu.gsu.edu/html/architecture.html Adobe (dry mud brick) is the obvious material when one thinks of the Anasazi and other Pueblo architecture. It has excellent strength under compression and so can be used to create arched or domed roof structures (eg. Ancient Egyptian granaries). However this technique is not found in native America construction. There they used timber (wood) to create the framework, floors and roofs. Culturally this had perhaps the most significant impact on the Anasazi culture. The expansion of urban Anasazi architecture led to the eventual destruction of all surrounding woodland. It has been estimated that they cut down hundreds of thousands of trees from forests at up to 4000ft and up to 75 miles distant. Read this interview with leading anthropologist Jared Diamond on ABC Radio National: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/bbing/stories/s743310.htm Also check out this article: http://www.crf-usa.org/bria/bria18_4c.htm So in the end the very success of the civilization led to its demise. Doesn't always seem that way :-) All the best, Mike
