The Taut Batu are a little studied, pre-literate tribal group of the Phillipines. Living in a restricted mountainous area, they have an unusual settlement pattern: some local groups live in specially designed "tree houses" which are seasonally abandoned for dwellings in caves. This project is designed to understand the relationship of this special type of settlement pattern and dwelling with regards to environment, social structure, religion, and daily interaction patterns. This study will extend our understanding about the relationship between material culture and the non-material aspects of culture in a social context. It will benefit both ethnology and archaeology with regards to the inferences about behavior, values, and symbols that can be made from physical objects such as houses. This study will have practical as well as theoretical benefits. It will provide development agencies with an interest in cultural minority resettlement with information on housing and the people's point of view on the quality of life of their housing.
