In May, 1607, three small ships anchored by a small wooded island in the James river. The settlers aboard the vessels disembarked and began constructing the first permanent English Settlement in North America. Until 1994, it was believed that the site of the original fort had been swept away by the river. Then, the site was found. In the year since, excavation of the site has been conducted and hundreds of artifacts found.
I find this photograph interesting. It shows how a wall (in this case the wall of a fort) was constructed without nails. A shallow trench was dug and the bottom edge of the logs making up the palisade walls, were buried. The soil was firmly tapped down to anchor the logs in place. The top of the walls was secured by attaching planks to the logs using wooden pegs. . . dozens of them. . that were driven into holes drilled through the plank and into the log.
This same wooden pin technique was used, centuries later, in the construction of log cabin homes.
This same wooden pin technique was used, centuries later, in the construction of log cabin homes.
