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Hearth
The central hearth provided warmth and cooking facility. It was typically stone-lined depression in floor center, positioned directly below smoke hole. The stone lining contained fire, protected earth floor from heat damage, retained heat after fire died down.
Fuel storage was nearby—keeping dry wood accessible for fire maintenance. The fire was never allowed to die completely—banking coals overnight meant morning restart required only adding fuel and encouraging combustion.
Sleeping Platforms
Sleeping areas were often raised platforms along walls—providing cleaner, warmer sleeping space than floor (heat rises, dirt and debris accumulate at floor level). The platforms were simple wooden constructions covered with furs, hides, or woven materials.
Individual sleeping areas might be partitioned slightly—providing psychological privacy even when actual privacy was impossible. The divisions were minimal—woven screens, hanging hides, furniture placement—but they defined personal space in shared environment.
Storage
Storage was along walls or under sleeping platforms—baskets, leather bags, wooden boxes containing food, tools, clothing, valuables. The storage organization was crucial in small space—knowing where everything was, maximizing limited area, preventing clutter that would make life miserable.
Some storage was in exterior pits—food buried in ground outside dwelling where cold temperatures provided natural refrigeration. Root vegetables, preserved meats, other items that needed to stay cold but not freeze were stored this way.
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