Summary: Internal View of Dwelling and Mount Sandel Examples
Key dates:
At Mount Sandel, Coleraine excavations have taken place which provide detailed information about the homes of the Mesolithic (hunter gatherers). Post holes, pits and hearths found there have made it possible to reconstruct accurately these dwellings.
The saplings at Mount Sandel were sunk 30cms into the subsoil and at an angle so the tepee/wigwam shape is confirmed.
These houses were about 6 metres wide with a hearth in the centre. To retain heat, there was only one entrance and no windows. The material which covered the frame would not have been airtight and there may have been a small opening in the centre roof through which smoke may escape. There is no doubt that such dwellings would have been very smokey.
Because the materials which would have been used for seating decay over time, there is no evidence of exactly what these would have looked like. However, it is most likely that tree trunks and possibly large stones were used.
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