The archaeological record is another major source of information, but as no Iroquoian longhouse survived, we have little to go on. All that remains is mould in the holes that contained the posts of the houses along with hearths and other features that play no part in the longhouse framework. From this information, we know the "footprint" of the houses including their length, width, and information regarding the posts. This includes their spacing, diameter, and how far they penetrated into the ground. Everything above the surface of the ground is gone.

The historic record does share some information about the profile of the Iroquoian longhouse. This information, and in some cases imagination, has allowed both natives and non-natives to construct what they think longhouses really looked like. Such reconstructions exist in southern Ontario, in the St. Lawrence Valley, and in Upper New York State. Although the designs vary substantially, they generally fall into three types: round roofed with vertical walls, semi-ellipsoidal, and arch roofed with vertical walls. These designs include numerous exterior and interior framing concepts. Many educated arguments exist on how they were constructed and how forces such as wind, snow, earthquake and other loads applied to these structures actually transmitted themselves to the ground.

Did the interior framing play a major role in the strength of the longhouse? As some of the members of the structure yielded to the applied forces, did other members become the "back-up" support of the structure? Was the structure a simple frame of beams and columns like we see in most "European" buildings of the time, or was it a composite frame where all the components worked together like a modern geodesic dome or an aircraft? Was it perhaps something in between? To attempt to answer these questions I have examined the Iroquoian longhouse using structural engineering analysis. By building virtual models of various longhouse profiles and then applying loads to them, I can determine how the framework behaves. I am able to determine which longhouse types are more robust, and in contrast, which of them serve as poor impractical structures. I am also able to reduce the number of probable design types of these buildings and offer a better understanding regarding the size of the various structural components such as poles and cross members, as well as how the original builders tied the structural members together. My present objective is to substantiate my results by building full size sections and components of longhouses using the same materials and fastenings that the original builders utilized then apply loads to them that simulate wind, rain, snow, and other loads that would have occurred. If I do this effectively, archaeologists will have a much clearer picture of what the Iroquoian longhouse really looked like. This picture will provide a better tool to describe how people lived in the Iroquoian longhouse.

Taking on a proposal like this goes far beyond archaeology. Knowledge of structural engineering including the theory of structures and the strength of materials are required. A good understanding of how softwood trees grow and how they behave in the "green" state requires input from forestry authorities.

Professor David Smith, one of the archaeologists in the Department of Anthropology is my advisor. He is also my mentor and driving force. He is providing me with the direction and council that will help to make my paper archaeologically meaningful. However, others are providing me their guidance and council to help me to achieve my objective.

Professor Peter Birkemoe of the Department of Structural Engineering is guiding me through the structural research and analysis of the longhouse framing and helping to reawaken my long forgotten engineering expertise.

Professor Paul Cooper of the Faculty of Forestry is my resource and guide for anything I need to know regarding trees as structural members.

Without these individuals, my proposal would be impossible.

Home page of Bill Wrigley

Sunday, September 5, 2004