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Ancient Housing

The history of housing is the documentation of humankind's efforts to provide shelter. Housing can be described in a utilitarian way in terms of building materials, resources, and engineering, but it is the culture of certain civilizations that has had the greatest influence on the development of housing. Furthermore, an analysis of how communities actually live together is essential to any understanding of housing.

Origins

From its origins as a form of protection from the elements, housing has taken on a range of functions in providing a place for domestic activities, for work, and for worship. In every culture, housing is a repository of social significance and symbolic meaning. For example, a Roman atrium-style house with a storefront at the entrance holds a separate and distinct meaning from that of a variety of indigenous housing forms. Thus, culture provides the basis for design because traditional values in various regions of the world are continually translated and interpreted in the forms of contemporary housing.

Prehistoric settlements have long been studied by archaeologists. Historically, we know that the origin of housing was the cave, a fortified element that allowed inhabitants to eat, sleep, and cook in relative safety. Hunting groups occupied these shelters dating back more than 35,000 years, taking advantage of a naturally insulated barrier from the harsh winters and the torrid summers. The cave was a natural enclosure that rendered a simple yet effective retreat during an era when the outside environment was in many ways a very dangerous place. Some examples of early prehistoric caves are the Apollo 11 cave in Namibia, Africa, in the 25th century BCE; the cave of Altamira in Cantabria, Spain, in the 18th century BCE; and Cave Niaux in Ariege, France, dating from the 11th century BCE. One fundamental change that positively affected the hunting and gathering civilizations in prehistory was the end of the Ice Age more than 8,000 years ago. The earth's blanket of ice was beginning to thaw, which allowed humans greater range to explore what the environment had to offer. This marked a time when humans transitioned from the cave to the built house and learned to incorporate their hunting knowledge with their shelter needs. Mammoth bones and skins were used as the framework for structures that resembled huts.

The Rise of Established Settlements

During this experimental time of exploration, a fundamental advance was made that provided an alternative to hunting. In the 8th century BCE, the beginnings of agriculture allowed early civilizations to thrive on the earth's regenerative resources, and this discovery marked a time when humans created established settlements. They would build rounded mud-brick houses with openings in the front to allow for ventilation, which resembled caves. As they progressed further with the construction of huts, particular elements were designed more effectively. Structural posts and beams in the Luhya dwellings in Kenya, for example, were introduced to give the hut stronger bonding components at the roof and foundation. Along with these settlements came specialized roles in which every inhabitant had a function. Some role examples were farmers, hunters, craft workers, religious leaders, and merchants. One of the earliest established prehistoric settlements was the urban site of Jericho adjacent to the Jordan River, dating back to 9000 BCE. Jericho was the first fortified settlement of record that had a stone wall, which was in places up to 27 feet thick. Their huts consisted of circular mud huts with conical roofs. Access to the huts was limited by ladders to the roofs, which increased the fortification of the settlement. The use of buttresses supported the taller walls around the city and huts.

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