The Creek Indians, descendants of the prehistoric Temple Mound 
Builders, constructed their homes in a traditional style before coming 
into contact with Europeans. The packed mud walls insulated 
inhabitants from outside temperature extremes. Each village 
consisted of the circular-shaped ceremonial lodge (built with clay 
walls and a cone-shaped bark roof) and pole-framed rectangular 
houses grouped in clusters of four. Wood was used to build a 
framework only, until the Europeans came and began building log 
cabins. The Creek house shown above (1791) is made with logs 
placed horizontally in the European style. The specifics of the 
architecture indicate the degree of influence the Europeans had upon 
the lives of these southeastern Indians.