How did winter hot houses differ from summer dwellings in the American Southeast?

In the American Southeast, Indigenous peoples utilized distinct architectural styles for their winter and summer dwellings to adapt to seasonal climate variations.1

• Winter "Hot Houses": These structures were typically circular with conical roofs. They were designed to retain heat and were sealed tightly, featuring only an entryway and a smoke hole.1
• Summer Dwellings: In contrast, summer homes were generally rectangular, gabled, and thatch-roofed. They were constructed using a framework of upright poles and walled with wattle and daub.1

Regional variations also existed; for instance, in the southern parts of the region, houses often featured raised floors, palmetto-thatched roofs, and open sides to promote airflow, while Caddoan peoples to the west lived in domed grass houses. These houses were part of a broader settlement pattern where families often lived in dispersed hamlets near fertile land, moving between different structures or locations depending on the season and available resources.12