Dirt & Bones: Living Quarters

In my current novel (Working title: HORSES OF THE WEST SUN, previously BONE FIRE), I based the houses of the River People on the rectangular, semi-subterranean dwellings used by the Dudeşti people who settled in what is now Romania during the sixth millennium B.C. These houses are built to endure rain and cold weather. By sinking them into the ground, the earth itself acts as an insulator against heat and cold. In our research trip to Eastern Europe we were able to visit a reconstruction of a similar home. I thought you might like to see a few photos.

In the novel, the River People’s houses were constructed as simple rectangles so are not as elaborate as the one in this photo. They are, however, similarly set into the earth and roofed with thatch.

This photo is a close up of the roof thatching, trimmed at the ends. In this part of the world, river/swale reeds are the most convenient thatching material, abundant along the Danube.

The walls of the River People’s semi-subterranean homes were constructed of daub-and-wattle, which have an inner structure of withes woven over vertical posts as in this picture. Once the walls were in place they were covered with a mud mixture to make them more resistant to rain, snow, and wind.

Although I’m thoroughly spoiled having lived in warm modern homes all my life, these structures were a fine innovation developed within the Neolithic era. (In my novel that means about 5600 B.C.)

Do you live in a house or an apartment? What kind of roof do you have? Our is metal. Does anyone out there have a thatched roof?