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Despite their simple form, shelters are far from simplistic. A detailed knowledge of nature, and some finely honed skills are required to modify the environment successfully in such a way as to survive the harsh conditions that occur around the world. All the ancient shelters featured in this little book evolved as functional responses to local climate, the availability of materials, and temporal requirements, nomadic, seasonal or settled. Some are designed to be carried around, others stand for years. Almost all fade back into the landscape with little or no damage nor waste.
Traditional shelters not only provide an excellent snapshot of the many ingenious ways in which mankind has perfected the art of protection, they also clearly demonstrate how their inhabitants operate as a conscious part of nature. In addition, many if not all ancient dwellings symbolise the entirety of creation for the tribes and peoples who live in them, providing a constant reminder of their place within the universe, a summary of their traditions and perception of wholeness. This is perhaps most simply reflected in the almost exclusive circular plan of early human shelters, which also represent the circle of the year, and the cyclical patterns of nomadic existence.
More recent techniques of straw bale construction and geodesic domes are included because of their ingenuity and building simplicity. The definition of a simple shelter is obviously personal, but I hope that you, the reader, will try to build at least one of the lovely homes in these pages at some point in your life, and spend a dream filled night in it.
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