HOUSES OF THE SIERRA TARASCANS — BEALS, CARRASCO, McCORKLE 



15 



L=r^n=j^r0ST3S^ 



A KITC HLN 



Figure 9. — Kitchen of simpler style (kosina torueri). 



wall planks or boards. The side-wall planks run 

 horizontally, wliilo those at the two ends are 

 vertical, resting in grooves cut in the foundation 

 beams or made by strips of wood nailed to the 

 beams. The door is in one end (center of a short 

 dimension of the structure) and is framed in the 

 same manner as is the house door. 



The tops of the corner posts are notched to 

 receive two "remates," planks longer than the 

 planks of the side wall and forming the top of 

 the side walls. The vertical planks forming the 

 front and back walls fit into grooves cut in 

 rectangular rafters supported by the corner posts. 



If the roof has no ridge pole, the frame is formed 

 by pairs of rafters resting on the top planks of the 

 side wall and joined together at the top. To the 

 rafters are fastened stringers to which the shakes 

 are nailed. In case a ridge pole (uandj^ikua) is 

 used, it rests in notches cut in triangular pieces 

 cal d " buTTo" or " zoquete" which are placed above 

 the door and the center planks of the rear wall. 

 The rafters then rest on the ridge pole and the 

 top planks of the side wall. Such a kitchen takes 

 about 15 days' labor to buUd. 



In "cocinas de horcon," four square posts 

 (asama) are set in the ground. Construction of 

 the walls then proceeds in the fashion described 

 above. This type of kitchen always has a ridge 

 pole which is supported by two additional posts, 

 one at each end. The door necessarily is at one 

 side, not in the center as is usual in the "cocina 



de pie derecho." Both types have an earthen 

 floor. 



The above types are by far the most common 

 and constitute the actual dwellings of the great 

 majority of the Tarascans. Many variations 

 from the described types occur due to differences 

 in the skill of the buUders and the economic 

 resources of the owners. Dimensions vary ac- 

 cording to table 2. 



Table 2. — Relative dimensions of kitchens in varas 



' This figure applies if a double layer of shakes is used; often only one layer 

 is used, in which case the number of shakes is halved. 



The more elaborate of the two types with its 

 foundation beams, morticed corner posts, and 

 roof without ridge pole, is said to be relatively 

 modern. Formerly, no foundation beams were 

 used; the comer posts were set in the ground, and 

 a ridge pole was always present. The stringers 

 were fastened to the rafters with wooden pins, 

 whUe the shakes were fastened \vith wooden nails. 

 Another way of fastening the shakes was to let the 

 strmgers project. Another stringer was then laid 

 on the top of the shakes and the two tied together 

 at the ends. Alternatively, the upper stringer 

 might be held dowm with rocks. 



Another and better type of kitchen is known as 

 tr6ja kosina or kosina uijipiti (round kitchen),* 

 and more closely resembles the house, or "troje." 

 The ground plan is square. The construction 

 diffei-s from the "troje" in only a few details. 

 There is no loft and no veranda (pi. 6, upper, 

 right). Two horizontal planks are morticed into 

 the rear of the side walls and extend across the 

 back of the kitchen to form two shelves. These 

 shelves often occur in simpler kitchens, too. 



The absence of the loft floor requires some 

 change in the roof frame. Kesting upon the 

 uppermost planks of the wall are several cross 

 beams. The simplest way is to place thi-ee beams 

 runnmg from front to back, one in the center and 



< The term round is also applied to a type of square house (see p. 17) . After 

 much questioning, Carrasco was told the term round is used because the 

 structures are square rather than rectangular. This sounds like a rational- 

 ization. Round houses probably occurred anciently, although apparently 

 they were not common (see p. 33). 



