This was the existing one, which was okay to visit yeah and we kipped in it, naughty, and that because it was certified unsafe, as it was slipping down the hill, bad planning by the original builders about twenty years previously ;
http://www.coam.org.uk/images/buildings ... CF0267.jpg
( Chiltern Open Air Museum)
The replacement that we built was this in a lower flatter field ;
http://www.coam.org.uk/images/buildings/origin/IRON.jpg
Where the mead went was in the post holes for the wall posts, oak trunks upended and all cut with an adze and back cut saw. Up ended to use the wood capillary system against itself, as upended wood does not soak as much water up, due the the valves in capillaries facing the wrong way.
This is another we stayed in ; ( the one in the background);
http://zodiactours.co.uk/Photos/Lake_Vi ... llage5.jpg
http://www.dot-domesday.me.uk/iron_rhouse.jpg ( Peat Moors centre)
A very comfortable building, lime washed walls and relatively draft free, much impressed
Then there was this one which was a monster ; ( Butser Iron Age Farm)
http://ironage-history.com/brigantia/ga ... 00x800.jpg
But I can understand living in one for an extended period of time would not be that bad, obviously hard by our modern standards, but surprisingly comfortable and yes, no chimney, as chimneys draw flames which rise higher and threaten natural materials. The smoke from the central fire filtered through the thatch dissuading bugs and to an extent helping with waterproofing. The roof was also a very good place for preserving food, so smoked food we guessed was big on the Iron Age diet, perfectly preserved. The smoke formed a natural smoke ceiling usually at the height where the vertical walls stopped.
The one we stayed in that I said I found particularly comfortable was the one at the Peat Moors Centre near Glastonbury, that one we knew was built on the exact site of ancient buildings and that because when the site was excavated a number of hearth stones were discovered below the present hearth stone going down about five feet. There indicating the house sunk over time and earth was added and the roof raised to accomodate more comfortable height walls. The site of that house was on the Mere Lake Village, a sort of crannog in the marshes 2k years ago.
How old am I, not that old, I at the time was an Iron Age Living History and Battle Re Enactor, the Living History side was the domestic and educational side and the other side was pagan camps, scrogg and bash with lumps of metal and getting drunk on home brew around big fires at night with the usual stupidities that occur like fire jumping in the buff. Of course we had musicians too, using ancient instruments, mostly a bodhran fore runner the frame drum and the lyre.
