pit-house
Earth-sheltered ancient home
A pit-house is a dwelling partly dug into the ground, with a roof of poles, branches, and earth rising above the surface.
Common among prehistoric and indigenous peoples across North America and elsewhere, pit-houses provided natural insulation—cool in summer, warm in winter.
Archaeologists uncovered the remains of a pit-house village dating to 500 CE.
One's personal residence
- residencePlace one inhabits
- hearthFireplace floor area
- habitationPlace where people live
- shelterProtected place or structure
structure · hut · roundhouse · longhouse · wickiup · dugout · domestic · family
Act of unearthing
- digUnearth by shoveling
- siteDesignated location
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- artifactHuman-made historical object
ceramics · lithics · trench · survey · hearth · radiocarbon · carbon-dating · midden
Final prehistoric stone-tool era
- settlementResolved dispute or colony
- hunter-gathererPre-farming subsistence lifestyle
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
pottery · flint · tools · agriculture · domestication · megaliths · prehistoric · ancient
Act of unearthing
- timberWood for construction
- thatchDried plant roof covering
- earthSoil or electrical grounding
- postholeCavity for fence supports
smoke-hole · ladder · wattle-and-daub · sod · bark · insulation · drainage
Thermal transfer prevention
- warmthHeat you feel
- winterYear's coldest quarter
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- coolCalm or fashionable
temperate · protection · seasonal · weather-resistant · energy-efficient
home
One's personal residence
- residencePlace one inhabits
- hearthFireplace floor area
- habitationPlace where people live
shelter · structure · hut · roundhouse · longhouse · wickiup · dugout · domestic · family · communal
excavation
Act of unearthing
- digUnearth by shoveling
- siteDesignated location
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
artifact · ceramics · lithics · trench · survey · hearth · radiocarbon · carbon-dating · midden · posthole
Neolithic
Final prehistoric stone-tool era
- settlementResolved dispute or colony
- hunter-gathererPre-farming subsistence lifestyle
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
artifacts · pottery · flint · tools · agriculture · domestication · megaliths · prehistoric · ancient · tribal
excavation
Act of unearthing
posthole · smoke-hole · ladder · wattle-and-daub · sod · bark · insulation · drainage
insulation
Thermal transfer prevention
- warmthHeat you feel
- winterYear's coldest quarter
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
cool · temperate · protection · seasonal · weather-resistant · energy-efficient
pit-housestilt house
Structure built on posts
tree house · tower · high-rise · skyscraper · penthouse