Eskimo Architecture: Dwelling and Structure in the Early Historic Period

by Gregory Reinhardt, Gregory A. Reinhardt, Andrew Tooyak (Foreword by)

Overview

This study of the structural and cultural dimensions of Eskimo architecture is illustrated with rare historical and contemporary photographs, maps, and drawings. Lee (curator of ethnology, U. of Alaska, Fairbanks) and Reinhardt (an archeologist) offer a survey of historical literature on Eskimo dwellings around the circumpolar north, and show that the popular image of the igloo is just one of many designs. The book also examines geographical, climatic, and ethnographic aspects of the structures in four Arctic subregions. The volume contributes to the fields of anthropology, archaeology, native studies, and architecture. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781889963679
Publisher:	University of Alaska Press
Publication date:	11/01/2005
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Molly Lee is curator of ethnology at the University of Alaska Museum and professor of anthropology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Gregory A. Reinhardt is professor and chair of the Department of Anthropology, and director of archeology for the Archeology and Forensics Laboratory at the University of Indianapolis.

Editorial Reviews

Eskimos have had Western contact for more than four centuries, so it comes as a surprise that until now there has never been a full-fledged study of traditional Eskimo architecture. Lee (Univ. of Alaska) and Reinhardt (Univ. of Indianapolis), both experts in the cultures of Arctic peoples, have pooled their doctoral research to produce the first all-encompassing catalog of building types once found from Greenland to Alaska. Today's Eskimos live in Westernized houses; few examples remain of the ice, sod, rock, and animal skin dwellings of their ancestors. The authors went through the written and pictorial record extending back to the late 18th century, assembling a splendidly organized typology of winter, summer, and "transitional" dwellings, as well as various special-purpose structures that round out the repertoire of Eskimo building. Maps and 170 black-and-white photos and illustrations help bring to life a somewhat dry but highly descriptive text. As the authors intended, this survey should serve as an important springboard for future theoretical and interpretive studies of Eskimo culture. Recommended for anthropology and Native American studies collections.-David Soltesz, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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