2 - Blacksmith's House

Based on findings from the Staré Hradisko oppidum, building V

In the hallway, there is a bread baking oven and a stone rotary millstone – a Celtic invention that greatly increased the efficiency of flour grinding. The door on the left leads to the kitchen, which was the center of all activities in the house – from food preparation to rich social life. The hearth was important – a source of heat and light. The hearth included an iron or bronze cauldron or grill. Above the hearth is a spark catcher that protects the reed roof from flying embers and sparks. There are also various types of ceramic, wooden, and straw containers on display. In the corner, you can see a home altar where the Celts could honor the protectors of the house and their ancestors. Stairs lead to the attic, which served as storage space or, in summer, for sleeping. In the next room is a bed for the entire family, lined with woolen fabrics and furs. Equipment for textile production is also on display – spindles for spinning threads and a loom. In this room, it was possible to heat in winter with hot stones or a ceramic bowl filled with hot coals. Windows could be closed with wooden shutters or a membrane of raw hide. The last room in the house is the stable. This arrangement allows for greater control over animals, easier feeding, but most importantly, the heat produced by the livestock helps to warm the rest of the house. This building layout was still used in the 19th century.

This is where our blacksmith lives; he is very skilled and can make almost anything from iron. When I grow up, he will forge me a long sword, and I will get Rósička a beautiful cloak brooch. But he also makes all kinds of tools, and his apprentice, my friend Aidu, forges a pile of nails every day. The blacksmith is wealthy; he has a large house where not only his large family lives but also his servants. However, he doesn’t forge in the house; he has an outdoor smithy for that. Further, you can see the semi-sunken houses, which are houses half-buried in the ground. This is done to keep them nice and warm. Aidu and his family live in the larger one, while the smaller one serves as a workshop. You can also see a small house that is completely above ground; that’s not an above-ground dwelling but a granary. Grain is stored there to keep mice from eating it.

Come and see the house; it’s large and can accommodate up to ten people. And not just people – animals commonly live with us too. Here in the stable, you might meet goats if they’re not out grazing. Heat and light in the house are provided by fire, which is also used for cooking and baking. For example, freshly baked bread flatbreads are very good, but flour needs to be ground for them. For that, we invented a very clever stone mill. It’s called a millstone and stands here in the hallway. If you want to try grinding flour, we’ll show you how…

Try it!

Grinding with a Millstone

Grab the side handle of the millstone with one hand; with the other, you can hold the axis. Spin the …

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Blacksmith's Farmstead House