This was an
important factor in bringing about the attained degree of advancement in
the building art. At the present day constant local changes occur in the
water sources of these arid table-lands, while the general character of
the climate remains unaltered.
The distinguishing characteristics of Pueblo architecture may be
regarded as the product of a defensive motive and of an arid environment
that furnished an abundance of suitable building material, and at the
same time the climatic conditions that compelled its frequent
employment.
The decline of the defensive motive within the last few years has
greatly affected the more recent architecture. Even after the long
practice of the system has rendered it somewhat fixed, comparative
security from attack has caused many of the Pueblo Indians to recognize
the inconvenience of dwellings grouped in large clusters on sites
difficult of access, while the sources of their subsistence are
necessarily sparsely scattered over large areas. This is noticeable in
the building of small, detached houses at a distance from the main
villages, the greater convenience to crops, flocks and water outweighing
the defensive motive. In Cibola particularly, a marked tendency in this
direction has shown itself within a score of years; Ojo Caliente, the
newest of the farming pueblos, is perhaps the most striking example
within the two provinces. The greater security of the pueblos as the
country comes more fully into the hands of Americans, has also resulted
in the more careless construction in modern examples as compared with
the ancient.
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