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1000–1550) small pole structures made by Lewis and Kneberg (1946). Their statements about design features for this style of architecture were derived from excavations of several remarkably well-preserved structures at Hiwassee Island and other sites in eastern Tennessee (Webb 1938). In effect, their explicit and well-reasoned interpretation of these buildings readily translated into a set of testable hypotheses. Archaeological evidence from Tennessee, especially that from burned structures, made it abundantly clear to Lewis and Kneberg that a small pole, wall trench building design was typical of both public and domestic buildings during the early Mississippian stage (Lewis and Kneberg 1946:60, 74).

At the very least, the relative proportions of time devoted to various tasks should prove reasonably informative. Some comments on the reconstruction process need to be presented in order to allow readers to make their own independent evaluations of the time: task measurements. First, modern hand tools were used in many steps of the process. These included the use of shovels and mattocks to excavate the house basin and wall trenches, the use of saws and steel axes to fell small poles, the use of pruning clippers to cut cane for wattling, the use of draw knives to strip bark from poles, and the use of steel hatchets to detach bark slabs.

At the same time another young man does the same to the pole forming the angle opposite. Then the two poles, bent to a suitable height, are firmly and smoothly bound together. The same is done to the poles of the two remaining corners which are made to cross the first. Finally all the other poles are joined at the top, giving the whole the appearance of a bower in a greenhouse such as we have in France. 3 cm] apart, as high as the pole which I have spoken of as determining the height of the walls.