Building an Anglo-Saxon Pit House with Hand Tools - Part V | Medieval Primitive Bushcraft Shelter
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- Anglo-Saxon settlers built Early Medieval pit houses with primitive tools, digging foundations, raising earth and wattle walls and thatched or shingle roofs.
After gaining victory over the Britons at the Battle of Peonnum in 658 A.D. the Gewissæ pushed south west towards the River Parrett.
While the tribal elites fought for power and territorial control Anglo-Saxon freemen settled unclaimed land amongst their Romano-British cousins.
The first structures built were pit houses, used first as military outposts and dwellings and then as workshops and storehouses once settlements grew and timber longhouses were erected.
Anglo-Saxon pit houses are often found with the remains of loom weights, pottery or metal-working crafts, and are therefore interpreted as craft-related buildings or store houses subsidiary to larger post-built dwellings.
Today, all that remains archaeologically of these structures is the pit itself and the accompanying post-holes. There is usually little evidence for floors, walls or roof structures.
Reconstructions of Anglo-Saxon pit-houses must therefore incorporate building techniques that are "archaeologically invisible" in order to be accurate or at least plausible.
"Archaeological invisible" building technologies often proposed for Anglo-Saxon pit houses include A-frame rafters resting on the ground, wattle walls staked into the upcast earth but not below ground level, or walls resting on sill beams.
The orientation, pit and post-hole features of this pit house are an accurate reconstruction of Sunken Featured Building 8 excavated at the West Saxon settlement near Lechlade-on-Thames, dated to the 7th century. The archaeological report can be found here: Prehistoric and Anglo-Saxon Settlements to the rear of Sherborne House, Lechlade: excavations in 1997. 2003. C Bateman, D Enright, N Oakey.
www.cotswoldar...
Despite constant warfare between tribal elites, the Anglo-Saxons often peacefully settled land left unoccupied after the Roman withdrawal from Britain, amongst neighbouring Romano-British communities.
This led to considerable cultural exchange between the Anglo-Saxons and Romano-British, resulting in what is now known as Insular culture during the late 7th and 8th centuries.
The door was woven as a wattle panel from fresh cut hazel rods.
The horizontal ledges were knocked into the ground as posts to keep them secure as the wattle was woven.
The arched top of the door was measured roughly to match the arch of the entrance and lashed together, with the vertical rods woven in and trimmed off.
Large, flat stones were gathered from the nearby river and neighbouring field, to create a stone path leading into the entrance of the house. This will hopefully keep this area from getting incredibly muddy in wet weather.
The door was lashed to a sturdy post, with a long rod used as a hinge pin, so that the door could swing freely on the hinge pin, supported by the post.
The hinge post was set quite far inside the doorway, with the horizontal door ledges left quite long to span the distance. This keeps the cordage lashings hidden behind the cob walls and out of reach of anyone on the outside of the door. This makes it harder to break in as the rope lashings cannot be easily cut.
The walls were extended with hazel posts and cob, to finish the entranceway and give the door a nice snug fit within the doorway. A wool blanket can be lashed or tucked into the doorway to keep out the draught on cold nights.
The reason for choosing to make a woven door over a traditional plank-built door is that, so far, all the materials for the construction of the house have come from within 100 yards of the house (aside from the straw thatch which travelled 15 miles). I wanted to continue with that idea of creating a truly local structure.
The house now has its own little woven portal. It feels good to have a door, even a door of woven hazel and a wool blanket! The ability to create an enclosed space goes a long way towards making the house feel cosier, more nest-like; the door becoming a physical and (probably more importantly!) a psychological barrier against cold, wind and the terrors of the dark. The midwinter Wild Hunt will have to look elsewhere for lost souls left out in the cold!
With thanks to:
Herknungr, playing 'Нови Циклус'
Hector Cole, Blacksmith, for forging the Saxon T-shaped Axe.
Grzegorz Kulig, Silversmith, for making the pattern-welded knife.
Matuls, Cooper, for making the alder bucket with hazel rings.
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Hi all! You can check the subtitles and description for much more detail. Thanks for watching! If you like what I do and want to support me further, consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa/
Depending upon how green the wattle sticks are you could probably twist the long ends into a softer working material and then fold them back into the structure wall
Don’t quote me because I’m not sure if they would have done it this way
Being an experimental archaeologist myself: very well done and interesting channel!
@@mfriproduzionistoriche-2006 Great to hear, thank you!
@@gesithasgewissa you're welcome, have you published any of your results? Thanks!
@@mfriproduzionistoriche-2006 Not yet! Have been more focused on the practical side ☺
I never knew the UK's housing crisis was so dire. Cheers, guys, you are doing your part. That looks like at least a $300/month deal!
😄😄😄
It's the British," Back to Nature and all the Good times we had Group "
That was before those Dirty Romans ruined their country. 😉
How cheap? 300 a month? It's not Jaywick 🤣
@@gesithasgewissa”Cozy tiny house for rent, well-ventilated, situated with a large yard surrounded by trees, £2000/month.”
@@DanDanDoe what in the name of Wodan is a £ ?
Are you going to continue on by finishing off the inside? Hearth, bed, table. I would love to see how daily life happened in these types of dwellings. Watching you do this has been extremely interesting to me. How you have only used things you can find in the area. The construction techniques they used back then were quite ingenious.
Yes! Definitely! I have all that planned: hearth cooking, furniture, finishing and painting the walls! I appreciate the kind words, and definitely keep an eye out for future indoor projects, especially the bed in the very near future 😄
@@gesithasgewissawill you mark any runes in your Saxon house?
@@gesithasgewissa So glad to hear this!
@@gesithasgewissa This is good news I can't wait to watch.
@@Hadrada. Nice idea! I am interested in painting the interior with red and yellow ochre, not sure on the designs yet but some insular knotwork or Frank's Casket style scenes might be fun.
I don’t know why we call this primitive. It seems pretty sophisticated to me.
I think so too ☺ the "primitive" is mostly to appeal to those watching similar videos on RUclips
A wise man once said, primitive doesn't mean stupid.
One of my favorite places to be on this earth(not joking) is in a reenactment park in my country, Archeon in Alphen aan de Rijn. They have this recreated medieval street, with houses you can enter, shops you can legit buy things from.
But my favorite part is the back gardens. There is this bench there, has been there for years ever since i was a kid and everytime i go there i just sit there for a while.
Watch the goats, the smoke rising from the chimneys. listen to the bees zooming past and the blacksmith hammering in the distance. Just sit there and enjoy the view, with all the flowers and vegetable and herb patches, Chicken coops and hog house. It truly feels like time travel, and on that bench all concept of time is gone.
Such places are important, because they can achieve what no museum ever can: make you see those long gone times as times just as lively as your own. Even when you know that that's not the same as feeling it.
Much respect for your commitment in creating such a place, such places are precious.
That sounds absolutely incredible, thank you so much for sharing! I have made a note of Archeon in case I visit the Netherlands. Open air museums do bring the past to life in a way like no other! Thank you for the kind and inspiring words.
Het Archeon is zoooooo leuk
I haven’t been there in years, but loved it as a child. It’s so immersive, especially the early and high Middle Ages. And the staff can tell so much about daily life in those times. It truly brings the past to life.
Love your videos. No awful background music, just the sound of you working & the pleasant noises of nature.
Thank you! I love listening to sounds of traditional craft mixed with birdsong too!
Yes! And no inane chit chat either. Thank you for creating an ambiance as close as possible to the times you're recreating.
Watching you build that house with such skill and patience, in sunshine, rain, mud, or cold - it was amazing and peaceful at the same time. I was enthralled for the whole five episodes.
The deftness of your movements... your mastery of the tools... the expertise of your workmanship were a delight to see. Man's ingenuity always amazes me and makes me want to thank God for endowing us with such creative problem-solving capabilities. Thanks again for a wonderful series of videos.
@@trilbywilby7826 Wow, such kind words. Thank you for your support and inspiration!
I build 'hurdles' and wattle fences from coppicing Hazel on my 80-acres. I can appreciate the amount of time, effort and sweat you put in to gathering the material, using the 'spud' to set the holes for the posts and then weaving the door into shape. (And I never heard any 7th Century Anglo-Saxon cursing from pinched fingers when you bent the rods into place!)
Well done you. Enjoying the journey.
Cheers from the Willamette Valley, Oregon
It is a lot, but well worth the effort, as I'm sure you know! I shall have to learn some Old English curses to be more authentic haha! Thank you for the kind words. Also, 80 acres...that's the dream!!
@@gesithasgewissapost a video when you learn them. I have some work coming up too.
@@gesithasgewissa Ask Simon Roper. I'm sure he knows quite a few.
Großartige Arbeit, deine Vorfahren sind sicherlich Stolz auf dich. 👍
Thank you! Such kind words mean a lot!
I love your stuff, its so calming and feels so in tune with life,
Thank you, I appreciate the kind words!
Imagine going for a hike in your local woods, and you stumble upon some Saxon lad building himself a house. I'd start wondering if I stumbled back in time at that point.
Haha! I have actually had that happen, they were quite surprised!
@@gesithasgewissayou'll feature on Weird World's timeslip cases eventually. 😂
In movies depicting medieval villages, where they show soldiers coming in and destroying everything for whatever reason, you really get the awful feeling of loss there must be when they set the homes on fire. It is a tremendous amount of work and time put into the homes. Thank you for showing us all the work you put into it.
Absolutely, so much love and time put into every house...it must have been a heart-breaking to have to start over.
@@gesithasgewissaI can imagine such destructive raids would sometimes end up with the people moving away entirely. If the houses and food storages are destroyed, is it at all possible to rebuild?
Raiding aside, are you going to show how the Anglo-Saxons kept their food throughout the year? I’d love to know more about that.
@@DanDanDoe Yes, I have plans to show that in the future, that's going to be a fun project
Good morning Gewissa! I imagine this door to be surprisingly sturdy, considering the amount of tension "trapped" in the hazelwood sticks.
It is definitely solid yes! I'm hoping it will lighten up a bit as the hazel dries! The house is essentially resting on a wattle wall, which shows just how solid it can be ☺
I struggled hard this week with mental issues. Watched an old video of the Naturensöhne and that's how I found your channel.
I feel incredibly calm and cozy by now and kind of linked to nature. Thank you for an hour of peace today. 🙏
PS: as a LARPer interested in history this project is absolut amazing in my opinion. I would love to stay some days in an accomodation like yours - I wish you many peaceful days there!
I am glad my videos have helped you find some peace, best wishes to you!
Best way to start the day with the new video
I'm glad you think so 😄
Greatings from America, I really enjoy your videos. It’s neat to see how the ancestors did it way back then. What a time to live, a hard life but simpler. You vids really help my mind to wander back to those days… thank you and keep building!
I'm glad my videos bring history alive for you!
This is exactly what nature intended for us to do. Well done!
Thank you!
Wow! I just love watching you work using these ancient techniques... Catching up with the last videos you posted... Thank you for sharing all this with us!
Hope you're enjoying them!
Oh yeah! Caught up straight away... Love it!
This is such brilliant work - fascinating and educational. I seriously think you should get some sort of landmark recognition for this (if you want that sort of thing!).
Thank you so much, I'm glad you think so. I'm especially pleased people find it educational! At the moment I'm enjoying the private nature of the land, but I appreciate the sentiment ☺
@@gesithasgewissakeep it private. You reach plenty of people like this and it will run the risk of faster "deterioration" if it can be visited by third parties.
Such a perfectly paced set of videos. Fascinating and soothing at the same time! I'd love to watch you cook some authentic meals in the house, in the same style - nice and slow, detailed and with no chat, just the sound of the fire crackling and the pot bubbling. I love it that you use the Ridgeway symbol too - my favourite place 🙂
Thank you. I'm looking forward to doing some cooking videos in the same style! The Uffington White Horse, yes, it's a beautiful place.
I bet all that green wood and natural materials smells as good as it looks
It does indeed!
This is one of the most fascinating and interesting series on RUclips, just brilliant.
Thank you so much!!
The Saxons knew how to build, their home has been around since 9th century. Imagine if it had indoor plumbing and a bathroom for those cold winter nights! Seriously, this is very nice, practical and creative for that time.
Thank you for the kind words. Our ancestors were skilled indeed!
Next step: make and fire a clay chamber pot with a lid. Bonus points if you can build a kiln and glaze it. :)
You should have called your channel Anglo-saxon technology.
Jokes aside, this is one of the most impressive things I've seen on the internet.
😆😆 I do love Primitive Technology! His videos are a huge inspiration. Thank you, that means a lot. You are very kind!
I've totally enjoyed these videos of your building this house. You have many skills to accomplish such a feat. Well done on this amazing project.
Thank you so much, for watching and the support!
Amazing work dude, cant imagine the amount of time and effort this took. Not to mention the craftsmanship, dedication and dedication engineering this would have take to build something this accurate and sturdy. Very impressive work 👏
Thank you very much!
Magnificent craftsmanship.
Thank you!
Another great video, just a suggestion the curtain over the door could be attached to a pole so it could be easily slid open and oiled to keep it dry, we know they were using oiled cloth in Britain the Romans talk of it.
Thank you, and great suggestion! I am thinking of trying something a bit more permanent like lashed curtains. I like the idea of oiled cloth, especially as a Romano-British influence. The tucked in blanket is a little half-hearted in comparison haha!
The most impressive thing here is how good the video quality was in 661.
All kidding aside this is amazing, gonna convince my in-laws to let me do this on their property 😄
Haha, hope it goes well!
A vid from Gewissa brightens up any day.
Glad to hear it!
Outstanding! 🫡🇬🇧👍🏻
Thank you!
I watched the previous episodes just yesterday, and the new one is already out! Thanks!
That's great, thanks for watching!
Another great video. Thank you so much for this. I know it's a tremendous amount of work and you must derive much pleasure form it. Thank you again.
Thank you so much!
my favorite youtube videos, i get so happy when one drops
Thank you very much!
I have watched now this series and now I‘m lucky to say that I am now a member of the group watching your videos regularly.
Glad you're enjoying the videos!
Saw your content shared @Naturensoehne
Great to see the progress of this outstanding project. Will keep on following.
Best wishes from Germany
I love their reviews haha! Thank you very much, and welcome!
Saw your amazing Videos at Naturensöhne channel first time, love your amazing work. Greetings from Germany
Welcome, and thank you!
Amazing. You have some serious skills and knowledge. I really enjoyed the whole process. I think all you need now is a viking ship and you are all set.
Thank you! Haha, I did actually work for the Sutton Hoo Ship's Company for a year ☺
Brother I’m sold on your content, hard work and historical accuracy on this build. I’m so glad I came across this on my for you page this is absolutely incredible. I love history and this absolutely has my full attention to your amazing detailed work. I’ve read so many of the comments on the videos and am so glad at how many people are appreciating what you’re doing. I just read your page my name is also Alec!!
Welcome Alec! Thank you so much for the kind words!
Brilliant video, as always. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
As a young kid I built a small ridge pole hut by digging into the soil and thatching it , was extremely warm in the snow , but what amazes me is I new nothing of thatching and building a small hut like that , was before we had tv so where did the idea come from , well anyway well done on your build .😊.
Cool! It's great fun, huh?!
Bro ive been waiting for this video for so long
Thanks for waiting haha, I appreciate it!
I love the building for this and enjoy getting a history lesson as well ^^ Admittedly im abit of a history nut lol though i kept getting mad at myself lol every time i try to watch the first time around i nodded off lol very relaxing
Its coming along so nicely ^^
History nuts are very welcome here haha! Thanks for watching!
Was waiting in anticipation for this one.
Glad to hear it! Thanks for watching ☺
This is the exact thing I need to unwind after a long day. Reminds me of trying to build little huts in the woods when I was a little kid.
I'm glad the videos help, thanks for watching!
Thanks!
Thank you very much Mark!!
Always a good day seeing one of your videos pop up in my notifications! Well done!
Thank you, glad to hear it!
As always this is so damm good
Thank you!! 😄
Good work, little tip for wattle hurdles bend over the end of one every few branches and curl it back onto the previous post.
Locks in the sides much better.
Thanks for the advice! I did do a couple of thin bend arounds at the bottom. I meant to do more, but got caught up in the filming process and forgot haha! 😅
Thanks for the excellent video. It would be great to have a tour video of the house. In this way, if someone didn't want to watch you build it, they could just see it when it was finished.
I'd rather they watched me build it 😆
@@gesithasgewissa That's cool too 🙂
Quite a build!
Thank you very much!
Hello, thanks for the lovely new video. Filming time must be difficult to find with all these storms. I felt sorry for your poor feet in the stream. I was glad to see you had stopped pushing that marvellous stone to replace your shoes.
Thank you Louisa. The storms don''t make it easy, but it's much better now that I have shelter! Haha, it was chilly in the stream ☺
im so invested in this
Glad to hear it!
i watched all five videos of this houses construction, i am genuinely in awe for how well this turned out for you! History is such a fascinating thing and your bushcraft skills have really done a good job making this house! kinda wish we could relive them times to experience what life was like 😅
Thank you, I'm glad you found it enjoyable and fascinating!
I would love to see you decorate and furnish the interior! So cool!
Thank you! All that is definitely coming, keep an eye out for it!
Your videos have really nice and harmonic atmosphere i hope you dont end with this video and do some videos about making some furniture or ceramics and mabe some forge or fence. Its good content and i like to watch it.
Thank you! I definitely have more videos planned to show the interior of the house, and I would love to do some forging in the next year or two!
I feel like I just watched a guide on how to build a house in Valheim. Now I'm going to go watch it all again so I can truly master the art of wattle.
Honestly, this was awesome. 10/10 liked and subscribed.
😆😆 Welcome!
I've heard that experimental archeology is a thing, but can this progect be a scientific value research? This is amazing! It's definetly a great entertaining and educational project, but I really wish it became something more. A full-sized building with an interior, and all of this build as authentic as possible! Love it, absolutely. And I never seen a woven door in my life, didn't even know such things ate existing.
I have a few questions about your clothing, if you don't mind. First of all, how well does your shoes protect from water, cold (is it cold there? I don't see any snow, and the grass is still green) and minor injures? Second, is all your winter clothing wool? Wool can be quite fragile, does it hold well with building proccess? From my modern POV, clothing should be extremly durable on the construction site. And the third, don't you overheating while working? Does your clothing get wet, and how fast is it dry if so?
Sorry for my English, I'm somewhere about B1 and it's hard to ask all my questions properly, but I'm really curious to know as much about your expiriense as a builder as possible. Such a unique opportunity!
Hi, thanks for all your great questions! I am not carrying out scientific experimental archaeology in the sense of collecting data, analysing and writing it up. There are larger projects that focus on and support that such as Butser Ancient Farm. The main purpose of this project is to educate and inspire, and more personally, just to do the things I love!
I am more focused on reimagining the experience, influences, outlook and world view of the Anglo-Saxon world rather than testing it statistically. I'm really glad you're loving the videos, and perhaps you can look to Butser and exarc.net/ for the more scientific research!
The shoes are little more than a leather sock, and protect from most thorns and rough ground (though blackthorn is another story!). They aren't particularly warm, and are water-resistant although will be soaked through after a day of wet weather. Wool socks are excellent a keeping the feet warm, even when wet, but Early Medieval people would most likely have been used to have wet, slightly cold feet most of the time, and were also probably quite used to being barefoot!
All of my clothing is made of wool yes. I find that woven wool fabric is actually quite durable. I think the key is that is a WOVEN fabric, rather than knitted wool as most modern people are used to. Knitted wool tends to pull and fray quite easily whereas woven wool is stronger. For reference, the current pair of wool trousers I am wearing have lasted me an entire year of use almost every day, for all manner of construction and outdoor tasks. They are starting to get holes at the knees now, after a year, which I have patched, but I will sew myself a new pair by spring. My tunics last me two years or more. Wool is the most durable fibre of all the natural fabrics; linen, silk and cotton.
I don't find I overheat while working, I don't wear more than one or two layers when doing work in winter, and in summer I mostly work bare chested. Wool is fantastic in that it still insulates you even if it is wet, and can absorb a lot of moisture, meaning it will still feel dry when rained upon, when linen or cotton would feel very cold and wet. Again, knitted wool can take a long time to dry if soaked, but woven wool is quite quick to feel dry again, usually no longer than other natural materials of a similar thickness. I highly recommend it as an outdoor material that is warm, durable, natural and sustainable!
@@gesithasgewissa, you sold me woven wool. I feel like I should find a wool fabric and make myself a shirt or something.
Thank you for the answers! I was surprised to know that leather boot can handle that well with water. My modern leather sneakers go wet pretty easily, but it could be because of the way they made (and the lacing).
Your trousers look more modern style, at least from what I know about pants, they became the one unit in late Medieval time. Or there were united trousers back in Anglo-Saxon times?
I would love to see a video about your impressions about your building process after the project will be done! I hope, you'll make one :)
@@шибкоумнаяоднако I'm sure you can buy woven wool flannel checked shirts from hiking and outdoor companies!
The trousers are also historical - they are a reconstruction of the Thorsberg trousers, found in Germany and dated to the Roman Iron Age, 2nd-5th century A.D. The Germanic tribes and their Early Medieval descendants wore full trousers, as can be seen from Roman depictions. Hose (separate legs) were perhaps also used but I believe became more common in the Medieval period.
I hadn't planned on a video like that, but so many people are asking, I will have to do something ☺
Man I'm so excited for the harth, I wondering what kinds of foods they ate. Any recipes would be really cool to see, was a chef for 20 years so it fascinates me. Keep up the good work mate 😊
I would love to film some cooking videos!! That seems quite simple, perhaps I will do one soon.
Just amazing bringing our history to life. Thank you for this. Living history and experimental archeology let us have a glimpse of the reality of living in past centuries. We need many more people like yourself dedicated to bringing the past to life.
Thank you for the kind words!
Wonderfull work..👍👍
Thank you!
Amazing work as always!
Thank you!
Job's done.
Still could use a few wooden windows!
I really like your absolute historical accuracy (except the camera but sacrifices have to be made so we can all witness your work) even as far as the wooden shovel wich not many would have thought about without some research. Please continue as it gives me plenty of ideas
Thank you, I'm really happy you appreciate the commitment to historical accuracy, it's a really important part of the project for me! Minus the camera and waiting for those pesky aeroplanes to pass over of course haha!
@@gesithasgewissa I didn't realise you waited for the aeroplanes to pass! You are really impressive!
@@byquette9504 I try very hard to get as little modern background noise as possible - traffic, planes and so on. It means filming takes a little longer, but I feel it is worth it for the "immersion" of the video.
This makes me feel something I can’t describe
Hope it's a good feeling! Thanks for watching
Awesome stuff. Can’t wait to see more!
Thank you!
Finally another episode
Thanks for watching!
I have just spent an hour watching this series, and as much as I’m enjoying it I really need to get a life😅. Not gonna stop me from watching tho👀
Glad you're enjoying it!
great craftsmanship and great athmosphere 10/10
Thank you very much!
I am confused about the hearth and how that would operate inside that dwelling. Thank you for posting all this brilliant work.
It's just a small hearth fire for cooking. The smoke rises and sits among the rafters before exiting from the smoke holes and through the thatch. The 'smoke ceiling' hanging at the rafters helps extinguish any sparks before they reach the thatch. It is quite safe as a small cooking fire, but of course I never leave it unattended. Thank you for the kind words!
Now that wasan eye opener! I've seen other videos on ancient building techniques similar to this one but i have never seen a door made like this.
Glad you found it interesting, thanks for watching!
Your videos are very good to watch, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next!
Thank you very much!
Ingenious way of building the door!
Thank you!
Wow you are incredible!! What talent and strength! These videos are a dream to watch for me! Only think better is if I got to be there and help! Thank you so very much for posting!
Thank you for the kind words!
Great job and great video. A fascinating thought to consider, that stone you you used before the door my have served that very purpose before in the distance passed. We cannot know, but to consider the possibilities is quite a pleasant trail of thought. Please keep up the amazing content.
That thought did cross my mind, it was laid across the stream with other large rocks in such a way that it could have originally been part of a small footbridge or ford! So it may have been stepped upon by many travellers crossing the stream. It is indeed a pleasant thing to think about, every time I cross the threshold! Thank you, I will!
ahh missed this but glad its still here!!
Thanks for watching!
Still better than paying rent entire life
You said it!! 😄
I've been waiting for the continuation!
It took a little while, thanks for waiting!
good one
Thanks!
This house is made of straw, sticks, and mudbrick, so it's sure to keep the big bad wolf out!
Tried and tested!! 😉
@@gesithasgewissa I think I'll make one, because it looks like it keeps kangaroos out too 😄
@@saliadee2564 Hmmm, kangaroos look pretty tough though, they must pack quite a 'door-busting' kick 😉
@@gesithasgewissa Yes, that's true. I'll put a sign saying 'no kangaroos allowed' on the door. problem solved 🙃
You better read your 3 little pigs again by your chiny chiny chin 😆
Magnifique
Thank you!
Always great stuff , cheers brother
Thanks very much!
You've got home now! Amazing series! Thanks for doing it and sharing!
This is a very cool experience. It would be even better to partake in something like that, but not everything is possible) Maybe one day.
Thanks Hrafnir, I appreciate you following the project and often leaving a comment! I have thought about setting up some form of volunteering or learning experience, though I expect it will be quite some time in the future! If you're based in the UK, or visiting, I can offer some suggestions for great experimental archaeology projects where you can get involved ☺
@@gesithasgewissa I would love to participate! But since I am in Ukraine and eastern barbarians are invading my country, this dream may not come true any time soon.
@@gesithasgewissa hello! I'm in the UK and I'd love to learn about some experimental archaeology!!! I'm desperate to get hands on with this kind of thing, it's such a fascinating and profound way of connecting with the past.
@@HrafnirKrumr My heart goes out to you and your loved ones in Ukraine. Best wishes to you!
@@ellaisplotting Hi, great to hear! Take a look at some of the experimental archaeology centres: Butser Ancient Farm, Weald and Downland Museum, Jarrow Hall, Avalon Marshes Heritage, The Ancient Technology Centre, Newhaven Coppice, The Sutton Hoo Ship's Company, West Stow Saxon Village -- most, if not all of these places welcome volunteers in some form and often have courses running with different aspects of traditional crafts. I hope this helps! ☺ If these are too far away, let me know roughly where you are (North, Midlands etc.) and I can try and find more local examples.
Real epic work.
Thank you!
Turned out great
Thank you!
my first instinct with the door would be to take dried grasses and straw and stuff that in the spaces in the wattle.
Yes, that's a good idea, thanks!
Finally, me and my first cousin can raise our 10 children in our one room pit house.
The good old days...
Really enjoying watching your progress. It’s really quite fascinating! In a way watching the founding of Saxon England come alive. St. Edmund is rejoicing!.. in some previous videos you had used, I believe saplings for lashings by twisting them to make them more pliable, & fibrous. Do certain species work better than others for this? Thank you for all the videos!
Thank you! I'm really happy these videos are bringing Saxon Britain back to life for you! Yes, twisted saplings used for cordage, known as withies. There are definitely better species to use; young shoots of hazel, willow, and alder work very well. You'll notice these are all wet woodland species, and I've found the wetter the environment, the better the withy. I've not tried it myself but I've also read that birch makes good withies.
About 700 years earlier, Cesar crossed the Rhine with his legions… mind blowing.
Quite an incredible history is the migrations of the Germanic tribes!
@@gesithasgewissa in German it’s called Völkerwanderung, translated directly it means tribes hiking.
@@jhwheuer yes, I love the German word for it, beautiful sounding and so simply literal, haha!
Beautifull. I really would like to make something similar
Thank you, and go for it!
Fantastic project my brother ❤️
Thank you!
I hope the storms haven't damaged things too much
Thanks! The house is still standing firm. I thought some thatch might get damaged, but so far it is still tightly on the roof, so I'm pleased!
this is very beauty full amazing work and verry hard work .all is well ❤💐👌👍
Thank you!
Trogdor the Burninator has entered the chat.
He is not welcome 😉
cool man
Thanks!
That's a well fitted door
Thanks! Mostly down to luck haha, and the adaptability of straw cob to fill up all those gaps!
🎉😊 brawo Ty
Thank you!
Love it! I was wondering if you learned any trade, like a carpenter or something before you started doing this? Or did you just decide to do it for fun? :)
I have learned a lot of these processes myself, although I did spend a year working for the Sutton Hoo Ship's Company, rebuilding an Anglo-Saxon longship, where was able to develop my axe skills, cleaving and hewing large timbers and planks. I'd love to show more of those skills in future videos!
@@gesithasgewissaoh that sounds thrilling! Can’t wait for those videos!!! :D
Was hael!
Ok, that's all for the Anglo-Saxon. Lovely build, and great videos. I'm hugely impressed by how sharp your tools are - can you elaborate a little on that? How do you keep them keen enough for surgery? Stone and strop? Please clue me in!
Stay tuned for the next series: Anglo-Saxon Surgeon, MD. Truly this is an amazing series, and I would be happy with any and all information provided by the content creator.
Thank you very much! It's true I haven't shown much on my sharpening process. Funnily enough, my next video coming in a couple of weeks shows me using my sharpening stones, but I can give a quick overview here too:
I use all natural stones to sharpen my tools to try and be as authentic as possible (which is also why I try to use wrought iron or vintage tools wherever possible, as they have softer steels, and natural stones are slow enough without trying to sharpen modern hard steels haha!)
I have an old stone grinding wheel, although I have't used it yet as I have yet to set up a frame and turning system. At the moment I use soft Bath sandstone as my coarsest grit. As this is so soft I tend to rub it on a harder sandstone and use it as an abrasive, otherwise the stone wears down too quickly. I use an intermediate stone of Old Mendip Red Sandstone, which is a fine, hard sandstone. I use this with the Bath sandstone abrasive, and then afterwards just on its own with a slurry worked up. Finally I use a smooth black schist whetstone for the final edge, which is actually a scythe stone from the Pyrenees, although I use it for my scythe and the flat side for all my other tools. I think it's roughly 1000 grit although it's hard to say with natural stones. Finally, I do have a very fine Welsh slate whetstone, which I hardly ever use except to hone a carving knife sometimes! I use all of these stones with water.
I'm by no means an expert at sharpening, and really have to discipline myself to sharpen my tools haha! I'm still developing my system, but this is working for me at the moment. I don't strop with leather very often, though I probably should! I'm always open to tips on sharpening, especially with natural stones. It's a bit of a dark art I find!
Wow, that's is some detail. I really appreciate your response. My husband is a real knife hound, so I've kind of absorbed it.
Thank you so much! Good luck on all your projects!
@@gesithasgewissa This is beyond impressive. Thank you for sharing your process.
@@lindahamilton800 Very happy to share the detail and that people are so interested! ☺
I've been dying to see the interior.
It's coming! I have already finished filming the next video, which begins to show the interior of the house. That will be up soon, probably in a couple of weeks!
Can't wait to see the inside being made. What would the Saxons have put on the ground? As some sort of tile for the floor, to keep warms and other insects out? Tnks for the video, great quality and awesome looking shirt too! Cheers
Thank you! Flooring ranged from simple techniques such as packed earth and bundles of rushes, to more refined flooring such as wooden floor boards and crushed tile flooring (opus siginium).
@@gesithasgewissa That is so cool. I can see these peoples using wooden floors indeed, particularly before they had more contact with Roman technics/buildings. I love to go back and gather info on what Northen European Architecture looked like before these peoples took Roman influecne, engineering and architecture. Tnks for the video and channel, glad to have found it. Cheers!