The Caddo Hut

The reconstructed Caddo house was built in 1982. It was thought that this

structure would last 30-40 years. However, vandalism and storm damage

shortened the life of the house. Vandals cut out one of the storage lofts in 1990

and this seriously weakened the structure. Temporary repairs involved placing

metal fence posts inside the house to keep it from falling over. Visitors could still

go inside the house until the summer of 1995, when the park staff had to stop

public access to the structure for safety reasons.

It is thought that the Caddo would demolish an unstable structure by

burning. In an attempt to continue the original experiment, archaeologists placed

pots, seeds, matting, bone, and other items in the house. These items were

documented and mapped and the house was then burned down on Sunday,

November 6, 2005. The house burned in less than 15 minutes, leaving a 1-2 foot

tall pile of ash on the ground. After a few days, rain and wind washed away most

of the ash, leaving the reconstructed pots and some other items visible on the

ground.