This study aims to identify what the houses of prehistoric men and women were like on the European continent. The work focuses on the physical characteristics of houses, as archaeological records are limited and ethnographical knowledge... more
This study aims to identify what the houses of prehistoric men and women were like on the European continent. The work focuses on the physical characteristics of houses, as archaeological records are limited and ethnographical knowledge is required to correctly interpret any remains excavated.
Various lines of evidence are reviewed in order to describe in as much detail as possible the form and construction of a pre-European Maori house. The exact fl oor plan, the shape of the posts, and their material were known from... more
Various lines of evidence are reviewed in order to describe in as much detail as possible the form and construction of a pre-European Maori house. The exact fl oor plan, the shape of the posts, and their material were known from archaeological evidence. Sparse archaeological evidence of other pre-European buildings and early historical records provided a basis for estimating details such as side wall height and slope, height of ridgepole and angle of roof. There is no firm evidence about the exact nature of the roof construction or the thatching of walls and roof. It is possible that in some details of its structure the house more closely resembled rectangular buildings in tropical Eastern Polynesia than historical Maori houses. The question of whether the house contained carvings and if so what they were like cannot be answered with confidence. Each aspect of the form and construction of the house is discussed and the basis for each proposed detail is documented.
