--=======55ED2CF======= Content-Type: text/plain; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-43231F34; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Old Homes of New Americans: Country Life in Bohemia and Moravia Chapter 3 http://www.iarelative.com/oldhomes/chap_03.htm Old Homes of New Americans: Polish Country Life in Ancient Days Chapter 6 http://www.iarelative.com/oldhomes/chap_06.htm Ron Mlejnek At 11:09 PM 08/09/2004, you wrote: >I have been searching for information about the physical description of the >dwellings of our ancestors for some time and have not found much. What I >found >was generic (for Europe) so I do not know if it applied to the peasants of >Bohemia and to which time period. Below is a summary of that information. > >The dwellings were constructed of local building materials: wood, wattle and >dub pressed on to and into reeds and willow twigs, stone masonry. or log >construction. The house or hut was a meager one or two-room dwelling with a >thatched roof of reeds and straw, which was an easy target for enemy >soldiers. Some >time later, tile roofs became popular. Some dwellings were constructed of >earth >kneaded with straw, in block form and stacked up to 2 feet thick. Another >report indicated that some people lived in underground burrows (this may >not have >been in Bohemia). > >There would be a fire pit for heat, with a hole in the roof for the smoke to >escape. This would result in smoke / soot covered walls and dark interiors, >which would create a health problem. Sometimes animals would live in a >part of >the dwelling. The animals would help supply some warmth. There might be one >window, with paper in the opening. This probably was before the glass making >industry came into existence. > >There was also a description of 2 and 3 story homes with iron railings over >the windows; this must have been later, perhaps after 1865. > >Can anyone correct or add to this? Also, how much of this was applicable to >Bohemia and in what years? Does any one have a description of the >dwellings of >the 1500s or 1600s? > >Thanks, >Glenn > > >==== CZECH Mailing List ==== >No off topic posts, flames, virus warnings, prayers, jokes, >chain letters, etc. Violators will be placed on message monitoring >and/or lose subscription privileges. > > > >--- >Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >Version: 6.0.735 / Virus Database: 489 - Release Date: 08/06/2004 --=======55ED2CF======= Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-avg=cert; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-43231F34 Content-Disposition: inline --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.735 / Virus Database: 489 - Release Date: 08/06/2004 --=======55ED2CF=======--
Thanks Ron for two wonderful sites. Very informative and worth reading. I have only started my reading. Susan