With our modern homes we don’t have a problem keeping warm. Cavity and loft insulation, double and triple glazed windows plus a warming system like central heating all contribute to making sure that when we come home there is very little need for a jumper. But, if your central heating goes what would you do then? Well, your first port of call could be to Boiler repair Cheltenham company at http://www.combi-man.com/. They can certainly help you avoid the many ways our ancestors kept warm as we shall see.
- Fire and lots of it. We tend to think of our Mesolithic and Neolithic ancestors as being a bunch of Eco Friendly natural types living in tune with the Earth. Whilst that is true to some degree it certainly wasn’t true when it came to trees. They were chopping them down with great speed. In fact, Britain was originally a thickly wooded island that our ancestors soon trimmed to the field systems you see today. While a lot of this wood was for building houses, and moving Stone blocks for Avebury and Stonehenge about, most of it went onto private and communal fires to provide smoky light and heat. The pelts of animals made nice doors and curtains which also explains why we don’t have any wild bears and wolves anymore.
- The Romans take the fire and use it. A posting to Britannia was not one of the most looked for positions in the Roman Empire, especially if it was up on Hadrian’s Wall. However the locals that had done rather well out of the Empire soon took advantage the latest technology coming over from the continent. The heated mosaic floor was a big hit in Romano-Britain providing heat, art and a chance to show how rich you were.
- Nice crenulations but it’s a bit cold in here. In the Medieval period one of the most popular living places was the Castle. There primary purpose being defence and strength the castle was made up of thick, cold stone walls and thin windows with no glass in them. Well, it would have got in the way of the archers trying to fire arrows at the attackers. The fire places were far too small and while a nice bit of tapestry might be there to brighten the place up a bit it was used more to try and keep the chill out. As tensions eased the fireplaces got a bit bigger and the Castle became a lot more comfortable. The invention of the chimney stack was a godsend and bigger fireplaces, like the underfloor heating of Romano- Britain became a sign of wealth.
