Ancient history

What kind of homes hupa Indian had?

Earth and Wood Lodge Houses

The Hupa tribe traditionally lived in long lodges supported by wooden frames and covered with planks and earth sod roofing. They were semi-subterranean, built into the earth, which offered a degree of environmental shelter. These structures could accommodate extended families of multiple generations, with individual sections within that extended from either sides of a central hallway.

Features of Hupa Lodge Houses:

- Rectangular floor plans

- Plank wall posts that ran from the ground 5 feet into the roof.

- Interior post supports.

- Split cedar roofs overlaid with layers of bark, brush, tule reed mats as thatching insulation.

- Doorway entrances from the ends.

- Central open smoke holes that served as windows, along with the doorway areas that permitted light.

- Fire pits near the center.

- Sleeping, living, and storage accommodations.