The Avalon people live in northern New Guinea. With a population of some 600 Apangai village like other Avalon villages consists of many hamlets stretched along steep ridges cleared from thick forest by hard work and constant use. The dwellings are made from local materials. A traditional curved or arched form of architecture is mixed with a more square or regular form copied from elsewhere. Each family has two or more houses- at least one for sleeping and cooking and another for the storage of crops. Dominating some hamlets is the spirit house or haus tambaran. This is a community dependent on agriculture for its survival. Village life is tuned to the ebb and flow of the seasons, to the cycle of daily activities and to the spirit world that influences the success or failure of their crops such as sago, taro and yams.
Apangai village (Papua New Guinea). Village communities--Papua New Guinea.