Built Environment Reference

A durable and inexpensive type of flooring that was invented in the nineteenth century and became quite popular in the U.S. in the 1950s and onward. Linoleum floor covering is made of a combination of solidified linseed oil (the "lin" in "linoleum"), wood dust, and pigment. This substance is then thickly layered onto a flexible backing such as canvas or burlap. Because of its durable nature and availability, linoleum can now be found in homes, public buildings, printshops and other workshops, as well as breakdance studios.

A large naval vessel with a long angled deck that serves as a runway for launching or landing airplanes. Tony Hillerman uses the aircraft carrier as a size comparison to mesas, as these are huge vehicles that visually dominate the surrounding landscape.

A machine that holds a round object in place and enables working on it symmetrically it by spinning or rotating the object while a fixed sharp tool shapes, cuts, or sands the object evenly on all sides. Lathes are typically used for wood or metal works and can be small or very large, depending on the type of work they are utilized for.

A way of fastening a door. Rather than a door knob, a piece of wood or metal slips over a catch or through a lock to hold the door in place. This can be a simple, old fashioned and do-it-yourself technology, cheaper than buying hardware.

Lake Powell is a reservoir that was formed in 1963 with the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam and the flooding of the Colorado River. While located mainly in Utah, it also stretches across parts of Arizona. The creation of Lake Powell was both lauded and controversial. Water recreationists celebrated access to what would become the second-largest reservoir in the nation, with over 2,000 miles of lake-front access while those more interested in hiking bemoaned the loss of red slot canyons and back country wilderness. However, there was little public debate concerning the drowning of Native American sites. Ancient Puebloan structures and other artifacts and traditional cultural properties, sacred sites, and landscapes were destroyed in the deluge that formed the reservoir.

A building or maze with passageways that intersect and dead-end and that are often intentionally difficult to navigate. This term comes from the Greek word λαβύρινθος (labyrinthos). In ancient Greek mythology, King Minos of Crete built a labyrinth in his palace in Knossos in order to trap a Minotaur. Other traditions find labyrinths built as garden landscapes for focus and meditation, whereas other labyrinths are meant to represent spiritual quests for enlightenment.

A warm winter hat made of knit wool.

In Puebloan tradition, a kiva is both a sacred space to observe religious rituals as well as a society associated with a particular kiva. Kivas symbolize Puebloan emergence, or birth, into this world, and their architecture evokes an enclosed space of sacred potential. The training associated with healing rituals or with the social responsibilities of each kiva society occurs within the particualr kiva associated with thatspecific power or responsibility. Each kiva cares for and is identified by a mask associated with its guiding entity, a force or persona associated with weather, health, warfare, or collective well-being.

Karl H. Schwerin was a professor of Ethnology and Department Chair emeritus in the Department of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico. He has researched the Karinya Indians of northeastern Venezuela and the hacienda system in Ecuador. Additionally, he did work within the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve in Honduras.

Also known as a loupe, a jeweler's glass is a small, portable magnification device often containing a double lense.