tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post5521556384660559898..comments2024-03-28T18:32:05.933-04:00Comments on bensozia: The Long History of the Viking LonghouseJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037215533094998996noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post-19562468962418456512017-05-10T11:52:06.428-04:002017-05-10T11:52:06.428-04:00Rather similar structures crop up in Native Americ...Rather similar structures crop up in Native American architecture on both sides of the continent, as well that of numerous Pacific Islands, and even places in mainland Southeast Asia such as Vietnam.<br /><br />It seems that there are some shared attributes we can pick out. For all these different people, the primary building material is wood rather than stone. They also all live in climates with somewhat extreme temperatures, either very cold or very hot periods of the year that must be endured.<br /><br />Somewhat less obviously, they're also all from wet climates, and possibly an important part of the longhouse was to create and maintain a dry environment through the use of indoor fires, regardless of the temperature. In basically all cases, longhouses were not just communal centers, but also a vital source of storage space for perishable goods.<br /><br />A high roof makes it much safer to have a fire indoors, and allows the smoke to spread out and thin. It also provides a lot of space to hang goods from the rafters, or to erect lofts. It also helps regulate the temperature, as a larger volume of insulated air takes longer to warm or to cool, and you can make adjustments using smoke flaps in the roof, either increasing or reducing the rate of temperature exchange with the outside. And it's also just a lot cozier to have a high roof and feel less bottled up and penned in when stuck inside during your local variety of extreme (and wet) weather, such as a snowstorm or a typhoon.G. Verlorennoreply@blogger.com