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Article History

Received: 18 September 2024

Revised: 1 August 2025

Accepted: 6 August 2025

First Online: 6 November 2025

Declarations

:

: The research has been carried out by an independent researcher. While the fieldwork involved close collaborations with many different people around the world, the focus of the research was on the buildings and their patterns of use, and not on the people or their animals.

: For all people within Siberia, who have received a formal education, simplified consent forms were signed. Within the largely illiterate African communities, consent is a very complicated process as there are frequently tribal traditions that have to be respected. While they vary between the peoples, the word of a chief is usually binding on the whole community, as he will have consulted his elders and will have thus the community consent before agreeing. It is however not always possible to record this consent without being considered very rude, as the word, usually spoken before the elders as witnesses, is their custom. Nevertheless, the nature of the research was explained to all participants and consent was given.

: The author declare that he has no competing interests.