What kind of houses did ancient Texans have?
Lots of different kinds. In dry west Texas, the Indians often used natural houses caves and rockshelters when they needed to get in out of the weather. But usually they lived in the open, under the stars. You might be thinking, “Hey, cool! Just like camping!” Of course, anyone camping these days knows they can go back to their cozy house if it starts to rain, or snow, or if the wind is blowing their tent down. But the weather could be a real problem for Indians living in temporary shelter. In the winter, most groups built some sort of house that kept them warmer, drier and safer. The Caddo Indians of east Texas built large houses out of wood and grass that were shaped like giant beehives. The Mogollon Indians of far west Texas (near what is now El Paso) built rectangular pueblos out of mud bricks called adobe. Take a look at the one we archeologists named Firecracker Pueblo. The people who lived in the Panhandle sometimes dug large holes in the ground and built a roof over this “pithou
