78 



ARCHITECTUKE 



[b. a. e. 



area here included, and so fully does en- 

 vironment control culture, that in many 

 cases where the conditions have remained 

 reasonahly stable distinct styles of build- 

 ing exist "almost side by side, and have 

 so existed from time immemorial. 



(4) It is apparent at a glance that the 

 physiographic characters of a country ex- 

 ercise stnmg influence on aboriginal 

 building arts, and at the same time have 

 much to do with the trend of culture in 

 general and with results finally achieved 

 in civilization. Dwellings on the open 

 plains necessarily differ from those in the 

 mountains, those of a country of forests 

 from those of an arid region, and those 

 of rich alluvial bottoms from those of the 

 land of plateaus and cliffs. Even the 

 characteristics of the particular site im- 

 press themselves strongly on the build- 

 ings and the building group. 



(5) In any area the natural resources 

 have much to do with determining the 

 economic status of the people and, ac- 

 cording as they are favoraljle o-r unfa- 

 vorable, foster or discourage progress in 

 the arts. The building materials availa- 

 ble to a people exercise a profound influ- 

 ence on the Ijuilding arts. The presence 

 of plentiful, easily (juarried stone, well 

 adapted to building ])ui-poses, permits and 

 encourages rapid development of these 

 arts, while its absence may seriously re- 

 tard their development, and in fact may 

 be accountable for the backward condi- 

 tion of a people not only in this activitj- 

 but in the whole range of its activities. 

 The highest development is not possible 

 without stone, which alone of the mate- 

 rials available to uncivilized man for 

 building purposes is sufhciently perma- 

 nent to permit the cumulative growth 

 necessary to the evolution of the higher 

 forms of the art of architecture. 



(6) Climate is an element of the high- 

 est significance in the his-tory of building. 

 In warm, arid districts shelter is not often 

 a necessity, and a primitive people may 

 have no buildings worthy of the name; 

 but in the far N. carefully i-onstructed 

 dwellings are essential to life. The hab- 

 itations of an arid region naturally differ 

 from those of a region where moisture 

 prevails. 



The conditions thus outlined have op- 

 erated in the various culture areas n. of 

 the Rio Grande to produce the diversi- 

 fied results observed; and these results 

 may now be passed briefly in review. 

 Among the most clearly defined and char- 

 acteristic of these environments are (1) 

 the Arctic area, (2) the North Pacific 

 area, (3) the middle Pacific area, (4) the 

 arid region of the S. W., (5) the Basin 

 range andliockj^ mtn. highlands, (6) the 

 Mississippi lowlands and the middle S., 

 (7) the woodlands of the N. and E., and 



(8) the (7 ulf coast and Florida. Within 

 some of these the conditions are practi- 

 cally uniform over vast areas, and there- 

 suits are uniform in proportion, while in 

 others conditions are greatly diversified, 

 numerous more or less distinct styles of 

 house construction having developed al- 

 most side by side. As with the larger 

 areas, each inferior division displays re- 



-TEHi; ESKIMO. (Murdoch) 



suits dye to the local conditions. It may 

 be observed that of the various condition- 

 ing agencies of environment one may 

 dominate in one district and another in 

 another district, but with our present 

 imperfect knowledge of the facts in a ma- 

 jority, of cases the full analysis of condi- 

 tions and effects is not yet possible. 

 It is not to be expected that the build- 



SECTION OF HOUSE, WESTERN ESKIMO. ( MURDOCH) 



ing arts can flourish within the Arctic 

 circle. Along the many thousands of 

 miles of N. shore line agriculture is out 

 of the question. Wood is known only 

 as it drifts from the s. along the icy 

 shores, and save for the presence of 

 oil-producing animals of the sea primi- 

 tive man could not exist. Snow, ice, 

 stone, bones of animals, and driftwood 



PLAN OF HOUSE, WESTERN ESKIMO. (MURDOCH 



are the materials available for building, 

 and these are utilized for dwellings and 

 storage places according to the require- 

 ments and capacities of the tribes. The 

 house is depressed beneath the surface of 

 the ground, partly, perhaps, better to 

 withstand the cold, and partly, no doubt, 

 l>ecause of the lack of necessary timbers 

 to build walls and span the space re- 



