Pit-house
Pit house is the name given to prehistoric finds of medieval house, where archaeologists found a gable at the excavation of the interior except the post holes.
Conclusions on the design
The recess of the interior was between 30 cm and more than 1 m. The surface area of such buildings was generally low, the soil often consisted of rammed earth. At many archaeological places pit houses were found in greater numbers. Many seem simple building with no side walls to have been its gabled roof reaching to the ground. In each pit houses, however, traces of a fallen beam ceiling were found, and among them that of a hearth fire. Thus it is that behind the archaeological find - name " pit house " a number of buildings of different use hide from the primitive dugout to the (semi) basement house. The walls were made , as with other prehistoric and early historic house types of wood or twigs and covered with clay.
Uses
Especially from the Neolithic pit houses were found with fireplaces and considered residential pits. Between the houses of the Iron Age cultures, there were clear differences in the use:
In Celtic and Germanic settlements pit houses outbuildings were mainly without fire. In many traces of artisanal activity were found, often loom weights and spindle whorls, sometimes even hard shoulders of a loom. It is therefore assumed a use as workshops, particularly as Webhäuser. In this context, reference is made to Roman texts under which the Germans made their linen " under the earth ". The reason for this is the better suppleness and thus easier processing of flax fiber at higher humidity, which is given in sunk into the floor spaces. If they were sufficiently shielded from sunlight, pit houses had a moist - cool inner climate and could have served as a storage cellar for heat-sensitive foods.
In the Anglo-Saxon settlement of West Stow noticed that the loose fill of large pit stains does not fit to a constant use. Therefore, the excavator does not speak of pit houses, but of buildings with a deepened findings ( " Sunken Featured Buildings" ). On the edge of the pit discoloration half a hearth came to light in the form of a clay pack with charcoal, the other half had fallen into the pit. Here it was suggested that the pit was originally covered with a wooden plank base on which there was the hearth. To verify the findings and the conclusion of the experiment, the " Anglo Saxon Village " ( Anglo-Saxon village ) of West Stow was born.
In prehistoric and early historical Slavic settlements, however, largely residential building had a sunken floor.
Reconstructions
All buildings created from perishable materials have little more than traces of changes in soil color ( with wood ) and the soil consistency (re -filled by later excavations ). Buildings that have been reconstructed from these traces can convey together with fragments produced by commodities a good picture of past life worlds. So some reconstruction has but decades later, turned out after further finds as a mistake.
Reconstructions of pit houses, there are several open-air museums, such as the Franconian Open Air Museum of Bad Windsheim, in the historical park Baernau - Tachov, at the Archaeological Center Hitzacker, the Celtic Museum Hochdorf Kalkriese Museum and Park, the Archaeological Open Air Museum Oerlinghausen, and the Museum in the armory Vechta in West Stow.