Architecture

The typical Achuar house is elliptic, divided in two social areas, and built out of wood, lianas and palm leaves.

The house (jea) is the minimum social unity in the Achuar society. A house is always formed by one family. It is built exclusively of wood by the men, elliptic shaped, normally without external walls and covered by a very complex thatched roof made of palm leaves, which turns the Achuar house into a vast and harmonious structure.

The size of the house depends on the number of the man's wives, as well as the number of helpers he has been able to bring into the home. The extent of a house is an indication of a juunt or "big man" and everyone's ambition is to have many wives and a big house.

The two most common types of houses are the naweamu jea (stilt house) or the tsupim jea (ground level house). The house is built following an imaginary axis from west to east or upstream downstream. This orientation gives the guidelines for dividing the house in two areas: tankamash located at the west side and ekent at the east side. These two areas have a very strong sexual division: tankamash is an eminently male area, where women are not allowed, except when they serve nijiamanch or food to the guests. The master of the house sits on the chipui, a wood carved seat that resembles the shape of a tortoise, while receiving their visitors. In the tankamash, physical contact between men and women is prohibited. The other social area, ekent, is primarily female, yet not exclusively. No male visitor will ever trespass the ekent's limit, but the master of the house is free to wander in this female space.

In the ekent, it is possible to find beds peak made of open bamboo over stilts. Every woman (if there are many in the house) has her own, as well as the older children. The peak is the only place in the house where physical contact takes place (but rarely sexual relations, which they rather have in the forest).

The ekent is also where the fireplace is located and all the meals are made, including the manioc beer nijiamanch.