Caddoan
Mounds & Homes
Mounds
Photographed at Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site, Alto, Texas
Prehistoric Caddoans had built large clay mounds on which they placed their temples. Although the historic Caddoans did not build
mounds, they did build temples on the tops of the mounds their
ancestors had made. The temples, identical to houses but much
larger, were made of wood. They sheltered the perpetual fire that
was considered sacred.
Homes
When a new house was needed, the whole village worked
together. The house was made of a large, dome-shaped frame of
wooden poles, carefully thatched on the outside with course grass.
The houses were often as large as 40 feet in diameter. The
furnishings were simple but comfortable. Platforms for sleeping
areas were built high up, above head level, and were reached by
ladders. The platforms, constructed of forked sticks, were spread with reed matting. Storage areas were built in at
ground level. Wooden stools, pottery, baskets, and woven reed
mats were used inside the house. Meeting houses, the homes of
leaders, and temples were like the ordinary houses but much
larger.