Editing Pre-Contact Settlements (section)

== Settlement Patterns ==

Lenape villages were not permanent, year-round settlements in the European sense. Rather, the Lenape practiced a seasonal round of movement that took them to different locations throughout the year according to resource availability. Spring might find families at fishing camps along rivers where shad and other fish made their spawning runs. Summer villages, typically the largest and most substantial settlements, were located near agricultural fields where women cultivated corn, beans, and squash. Fall and winter saw dispersal into smaller hunting camps in the interior forests, where men pursued deer, bear, elk, and smaller game. This flexible settlement pattern allowed the Lenape to exploit the full range of resources available in the Delaware Valley ecosystem.<ref name="kraft"/>

Village structures reflected this mobility. Rather than permanent buildings, the Lenape constructed wigwams (domed structures of bent saplings covered with bark or mats) and, in some cases, longhouses (larger rectangular structures housing multiple families). These buildings could be constructed relatively quickly from locally available materials and abandoned when groups moved to seasonal camps. Archaeological evidence suggests that some village sites were occupied repeatedly over generations, even if not continuously, with families returning to the same locations year after year when seasonal resources made that advantageous.<ref name="weslager"/>