Tepees, wigwam, longhouses, tents, palm frond huts,
caves, and pyramids stand up well to earthquakes. But
where population density crosses a certain threshhold
then buildings are constructed of stone, wood, or me-
tal frame. These generally do not withstand the long-
itudinal movement caused by quakes. When buildings col-
lapse they tend to start fires because of broken pipes
or spreading cooking fires.

It is only in recent years that areas with high population
densities have withstood significant earthquakes. Even many
of the simple rural structures can not withstand these
forces.

"Primitive" is a good descriptive word for any extremely
low tech endeavor. I'll agree that primitive isn't necessarily
a bad thing and agree that there can be advantages to "primitive".
I'll even grant that just because something is "primitive" it
does not necessarily mean that there can't be a great deal of
knowledge and artistic expression by the builders. But the fact
remains that buildings constructed before the 20th century had
a high probability of losing their structural integrity in an
earthquake and that these often burned after being shaken down.

____________
Man fears the pyramid, time fears man.