40 



IXSTITUTH OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY— PUBLICATION NO. 



and usually lied at intervals with split reed {carrico) 

 when the framework is of unsawed wood. Finally, 

 a laver of mud. mixed with chopped grass, is laid 

 over the whole for a thickness of 1 to 2 inches, and 

 smoothed down. P'rom an old roof there is a con- 

 stant settling of line dust, so that the furniture in 

 the house will he covered with a film even in so 

 short an interval as overnight. 



So far as I know, tiles are not used for roofing 

 on anv house in Moche. the caiiipina or the playa. A 

 few houses, however, have a layer of light cement 

 over the mud covering of the roof, as a protection 

 against the next heavy rain. 



Although from street level one has the impres- 

 sion that most houses are flat-roofed, this is actually 

 true in only about one-third of the cases. Practi- 

 cally all roofs have a low-grade slope. In the pueblo, 

 this is most often a single slope from the front of 

 the house to the back (pi. 12, middle (left)). Low 

 pitched roofs occur in both pueblo and cunipiila, 

 supported by ridge poles laid on the |)oints of low 

 gables (pi. 12, upper (left)). Single-slope roofs 

 also occur with open-ended structures in the case 

 of single rooms, arbors, and sheds. The pitched 

 and the sloped roofs were characteristic of ancient 

 Mochica domestic architecture. There seems to be 

 no functional reason for their survival at the present 

 time other than that these types of roof frame re- 

 quire fewer long heavy beams than the flat type. 



In the pueblo houses the roof is often hidden from 

 the beholder on the street l.)y a low parapet. 



In addition to the features outlined above, many 

 other variant details and treatments occur, especially 

 in the pueblo. Not uncommon is a series of metal 

 spouts projecting through the parapet on the street 

 wall. Although these are supposedly for the dis- 

 charge of rain water, they are actually only decora- 

 tive — if that — for those examined were stuffed with 

 dirt from the rooftops. Since rain is practically 

 nonexistent, their functional use is verv infrequent 

 at all events. 



Windows of the Peruvian colonial type, with 

 support, cap, and metal grill protruding outward 

 from the wall, occur, but are rare. Occasionally a 

 simple small window will be seen in a newer cam- 

 pliia house. Also, it should be mentioned that 

 recently jorasteros have constructed in the oueblo a 

 half dozen cement walled houses with "modified 

 colonial" architectural treatment. 



The arrangement of the house is ([uite variable. 

 In town, owing to the fact that all houses are flush 



with the sidewalk, a certain uniformity is presented. 

 In figure 4 is shown a typical house plan for a pueblo- 



s T R E e: T 



dwelling Mochero's house. The patio is not a feature 

 of the plan in Moche, but each house has an open 

 space in the rear of its lot. In some cases this is 

 nothing more than a dusty yard in which domestic 

 animals and f(.)\vl are confined, but, if water is avail- 

 able, an attempt is usually made to cultivate flowers 

 and fruit trees. Emerging from the back room of the 

 house, one usually finds himself in an open-air, 

 shaded arbor composed of a wooden trellis or frame- 

 work. The shade may be provided by pctatcs or 

 vines. Among the latter, grape and tiniibo ^^ are 

 favorites. There is a wooden plank table with 

 benches (pi. 13, upper (lejf) ) and perhaps a chair 

 or two. This is the living and dining room of the 

 family and the ]jlace where they usually meet their 

 friends. 



The Mocheros live in the open air. The closed 

 rooms of the houses are only for sleeping and stor- 

 age. In the eainpina the house plans take numerous 

 forms, often owing to the fact that new portions have 

 been added at various times. One feature which is 

 almost constant, however, is the partly open wall 

 surrounding a sort of porchlike room (pi. 11, middle 

 (right) ; 12, loiver (left) ). At least one of the 

 "porches" is found in houses of all types, usually 

 located on the lee side of the house. (The prevailing 

 wind is from the sea.) In these structures is often 

 seen the use of square pillars (pi. 11, middle (right)) 

 to hold up the roof. Although at present the "cut- 

 out" openwork walls of Mochica times do not exist, 

 nevertheless, the partly open wall and the square 



^^ Passiflota quadrangularis L. ; this vine produces a large, melonlikc 

 fruit which is much prized for food; it is indigenous to the Peruvian 

 coast. 



