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Depth and Size
The excavation depth balanced insulation benefits against labor and practical concerns. Deeper meant more stable temperature, better protection from wind, greater structural stability. But deeper also meant more excavation labor, more difficult moisture management, more challenging entry/exit.
Typical pit-house excavation was three to five feet deep—enough for meaningful insulation benefit, shallow enough for practical construction and use. Taller occupants might excavate deeper to allow standing upright, while smaller structures might be shallower to minimize labor.
The floor area depended on intended use and number of occupants. Single family pit-house might be twelve feet square. Larger communal structures could exceed twenty feet in diameter. The size was limited by roof spanning capability—larger meant heavier roof load, more complex structural support, greater risk of collapse.
Excavation Technique
The digging was straightforward labor—removing soil with whatever tools were available (shovels, picks, even sharp sticks in absence of metal tools). The excavated soil was piled nearby—used later for above-ground wall construction or distributed to improve drainage around structure.
The walls were often cut at slight angle rather than perfectly vertical—providing better stability, reducing collapse risk, creating space at top that allowed easier roof construction. The floor was leveled carefully, sometimes compacted to create harder surface, occasionally covered with wood planks or stone slabs for comfort and cleanliness.
Entrance Construction
The entry was typically through roof (ladder access) or through short tunnel-like passage sloping up from floor level to ground surface. The tunnel entry provided better weather protection—cold air sinking into tunnel rather than directly into living space, wind blocked by tunnel walls.
The entrance orientation was deliberate—avoiding prevailing wind direction, positioned to minimize snow accumulation blocking access, sloped to prevent water entry. A badly positioned entrance made structure miserable to use.
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