Houses and Furniture

By: Kiara CookDavid Ortiz

9.1.09

Types of Buildings• generally the houses were built of wood though, after they had

accepted Christianity, some of their churches were built in stone • buildings vary greatly in size from the small, single room houses

only about 3 x 3.5m to vast buildings about 22 x 80m • All the buildings fit into one of two broad categories: sunken

featured buildings and framed buildings. • Sunken featured buildings are those where a 'pit' forms part of the

building, either as a living/working space, or as a sort of undercroft. • Framed buildings are those where the whole building gains its

strength from its timber frame, built around a series of posts set in the ground.

construction• some were made from wattle and daub, others were

planked in one of many ways, some were even 'cavity walls' with moss or grass infill.

• In areas where wood was scarce some buildings had stone or turf walls.

• literature suggests some of these wooden walled buildings may have been further strengthened by iron reinforcing bands

• Most houses had only one floor and often only one room. Some of the larger buildings had more than a single room, could have more though not more than three

Lighting and Heating• Windows were rare• light would generally come from candles or lamps theses

burned animal fat usually• Hearths were generally oblong or rectangular and often

had a frame of wood or stone • Fire was usually oven and central heating

Doors and Floors• Doors had iron or wood hinges and were closed

with a latch. Some doors would also have a lock. • The floors would have been of packed earth or

wood. • The wooden floors may have been just simple

floorboards or may have been made of tessellated wooden tiles.

• There is evidence that halls may have had raised wooden floors, with steps leading up to the entrance.

Furniture• There would be a chest for important belongings, often

iron bound and lockable.• some shelves, a loom and perhaps a table and some

stools.• The tables were often of the trestle type and could be

folded away and stored when not needed. • Often Viking halls had raised wooden earth filled

'benches' down each side of the hall. These would serve as seating during the day and as a sleeping area at night.

• Wealthier people may have had a wooden bed with a straw filled mattress and a pillow.

Furniture• The bed would usually be screened off from the main

hall by a curtain • Chairs were rarely used• Around the walls would be plain cloth hangings or skins

to keep draughts out. Embroidered hangings were hung over these on festive occasions.

• In a warrior's hall trophies of war such as shields may also have been hung on the wall.

• Furniture almost always made of wood• archaeologists have recovered three legged stools,

benches, chairs, tables, beds and chests from Anglo-Saxon and Viking excavations.

Tents• Tents were used by both Vikings and Saxons • When the ship burials at Gokstad and Oseberg in

Norway were carried out the frames for several wooden tents were found

• tents varied considerably in size, some of them being large enough to have a fire inside

• Unfortunately we do not know much more about the tents of the Vikings because do not seem to be illustrated in any contemporary pictures or mentioned in any contemporary literature.

Tents• tents used by Anglo-Saxons are well known from

literature and illustrations, but completely unknown from archaeology

• although we know what they looked like, we do not know how they were made.

• Anglo-Saxon tents appear to have been mainly used for armies on the march

• they may also have been used by other people when away from home, for example, traders, farmers

Tents• There are several literary references to

people being 'at prayer in their tent• and also have references to 'tabernacles

or tents'. From this, it seems that some tents may have been used as 'mobile churches'

Work Cited• http://ve017.k12.sd.us/12th%20LA/beowulf

%20survey.htm• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Wattle_and_daub• http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/

oblong• http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/

loom• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oseberg_ship