pole construction

Method of building that dates back to the Stone Age. Excavations in Europe show rings of stones that may have braced huts made of wooden poles or weighted down the walls of tents made of animal skins supported by central poles. Two types of Native American pole structures were the wickiup and longhouse. Pole-and-thatch dwellings are common in the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, and the Pacific Islands; bamboo-pole dwellings constructed on piles are found in many wet areas of Asia. A southern African method utilizes a ring of poles that is inserted into the ground, brought together in a crest, and expertly thatched. Today, pole construction employs a vertical structure of pressure-treated wood poles firmly embedded in the ground as a pier foundation. See also tent structure.

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