Great comments Ken and others.

Chris How's nail study sounds wonderful. Funny how such a "common" (pun intended) item as a nail could busy someone in scholarly reasearch for months even years at a time.

The thorn hypothesis is esp. interesting (must have been nasty thorns!)... The clay buildings w/ pegged roof boards that you mention Ken sound neat. I'll ask my brother in law who's a Scot about them. And pegging ship decking makes perfect sense.

But given the above responses, it appears that pegs were not used to apply sheathing to structures as a common practice. I had guessed it would have occured here in early America, and esp. Europe.

Oh well-- I still think I'll give it a try sometime on a wall.
If you used oak or hickory "treenails" say 3/4" dia. and drove them in at opposing angles, I'd think you'd have a good method. Not as good as real "nails" but good enough for a barn or other outbuilding that would require some economy. etc.

But there must have been a reason why it wasn't done.

may the education continue...