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Each fine had several buildings that they shared. One building
called a roundhouse was a big home made of straw and mud. This is
where the members of a fine slept and sheltered from the
elements.
The Celts did not have chairs or furniture other than a
scattering of low tables. They slept on furs or mats. They sat on
the floor. The biggest piece of furniture in each home would be the
large looms where fabrics were woven all winter long.
They also built outbuildings that they
used to cook food, tan leather, store food, and shelter their
animals. Again, these outbuildings were shared by everyone in the
fine. Sometimes, these buildings were shared by several fines. These
were farming communities. But that's about as big as a single
"village" grew. The ancient Celts did not build cities. It
was not their way.
Each homestead (group of buildings) was
surrounded by the fields in which they grew crops. Beyond that, at
the edge of their boundary, the fine built a short wall made of
rocks. This wall was used to define the fields that belonged to the
fine, and also acted as some protection from attack.
In times of attack from another Celtic tribe,
or from the ancient Romans, the fine retreated to a hill fort, which
was built on top of a hill. It was surrounded by enclosure of
stakes.
Hill forts were huge things that could hold
everyone in the village in times of attack. There were huts and cattle
enclosures standing ready at all times. But unless the fine was
under attack, they stood empty, waiting until they were needed. The
Celts did not like to live closely together. The hill
fort was considered a temporary retreat.
Build
a hill fort
How to build a
roundhouse
The
Roundhouse
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