Why Did The Pueblos Put Their Doors On The Roof

The roof logs frequently extend from a building providing a place to hang things from.

Why did the pueblos put their doors on the roof.

Ground floor rooms had and in some cases continue to have no ground level doors. Pueblo indians north american indian peoples known for living in compact permanent settlements known as pueblos. Used almost exclusively for storage primarily of grain they were traditionally entered through rooftop openings. While pueblos were sparsely furnished the interiors of the walls had ledges and cupboards carved into them.

Before adopting mechanized techniques the pueblo indians would winnow their wheat in a circular area surrounded by wood fences to keep out livestock. A pit house or pithouse is a large house in the ground usually circular used for shelter. They made adobe bricks to build their houses. Café doors were actually practical for many reasons.

If this were not enough additional hangers would sometimes be inserted in the walls at convenient places. In the early 2000s there were about 75 000 individuals of pueblo descent. The ladder is a common thing to see around the village and the reason was that they had to climb up to the roof to get in the house. Most rooms above the ground floor can be entered by doorways from adjoining rooms.

Besides providing shelter from the most extreme of weather conditions these structures may also be used to store food just like a pantry a larder or a root cellar and for cultural activities like the telling of stories dancing singing and celebrations. Pueblos were generally equipped with roof spouts to mitigate water erosion and prevent damage to brick surfaces. Most were accessed by holes in the ceiling with doors reached by ladders and stairs. Representative of the southwest indian culture area most live in northeastern arizona and northwestern new mexico.

The ceiling openings also served as the only source of ventilation allowing smoke from the houses open hearths and ovens to escape. The rooftops were effectively streets. No door use the ladder instead one of the most memorable things on the reservation was to know the fact there was no door in the old days. They allowed ventilation in a small enclosure that was filled with folks smoking cigars and home rolled cigarettes.

Indians of the southwest made bricks out of dirt and straw and dried them in the sun to build their pueblos. Wooden posts inside each room supported the roof which was covered. Their walls were also notably thick a means of maintaining cooler temperatures inside. I can see why they didn t try to put a door on the adobe wall.