What is Wattle and Daub made out of? Definition of Wattle
What does the word Wattle mean? Definition: The word 'Wattle' refers to a method of construction called 'wattling' by which vertical wooden stakes, or wattles, are interlaced or weaved with branches, twigs, stalks, vines, cane or bark strips to forming the a lattice framework of the wall of a house.
What is Wattle and Daub made out of? Definition of Daub
What does the word Daub mean? Definition: The word 'Daub' related to the substance made from a combination of materials such as wet soil (mud), clay, sand, lime, chalk dust, animal dung, plant fibers and dried grass which was used to coat the framework of a wall when building a shelter or basic style of house. Substances such as clay was a binder that held the daub together, materials such as sand and earth gave the mixture bulk and stability, the addition of a material such as dried grass or plant fibers helped to hold the daub mixture together and and provided flexibility.
What is a Wattle and Daub House? Definition
What is a Wattle and Daub House? Definition: A Wattle and Daub House was a type of construction using a pole or stake framework intertwined with branches, vines and twigs (wattle) and covered with mud (daub). The roof was either covered with cane mats, thatched with grass or shingled with bark. The word 'Daub' derives from the Old French 'dauber' meaning to "to whitewash, plaster". Wattle and Daub houses were a common type of construction in 16th century Europe and the colonists and settlers gave the same name to this similar type of Native American Indian house.
Who lived in a Wattle and Daub House?
The Wattle and Daub House was commonly used as a shelter and home by some of the Native Indian Tribes who inhabited the grass covered prairies of the Southeast. The names of the tribes who lived in the Wattle and Daub style houses included the Seminole, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Cherokee people. The tribes lived in the regions of the present-day states of Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Alabama and wanted permanent homes to suit their farmer-hunter life styles. The Wattle and Daub Cherokee lodge was called an 'asi'.
Wattle and Daub Villages
Some tribes, such as the Cherokee built sturdy palisades (fences) around their villages providing protection for the people of the village from attacks by hostile enemies. The villages consisted of between consisting of 30 - 80 wattle and daub houses together with a large meeting house. As many as eight people might share this type of house. Villages were almost always located beside some type of water source such as a spring, creek, or river. Their houses were built close together and usually grouped around a central square or plaza where important ceremonies, rituals and dances were performed. Every large village had a Stickball (lacrosse) field. A Wattle and Daub was durable and would last between 10 to 15 years, when it would be replaced by new structures. Building and house took cooperation and forward planning in order to prepare the materials required for the construction.