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Bronze Age homes were not significantly different from those of the Stone Age people who lived before them. A typical Bronze Age home would be circular with either a stone wall or one made of wattle and daub that was about a metre high. The roof would be supported by wooden poles which would go to a point in the centre of the house. This roof would be covered with grass or thatch, the thatch being made from woven reeds. The house would have a single doorway but by now it is almost certain that the old method of hanging an animal skin across the gap had been replaced by a proper wooden door making these homes a lot less draughty. There would be a central hearth for the fire, used for cooking and keeping warm. Once again the smoke from this fire would escape through the top of the roof. Furniture was scarce. If they had beds then these would be made of animal bones with a mattress made of straw and covered with skins. Often the bigger bed, for the man, was on the right hand side of the doorway while the smaller bed, for the woman, was on the left. This meant that when the man lay in bed, facing the door, his right hand, for his spear or dagger, was free to use immediately if there was an attack. Cunning people weren’t they? I assume left handed people did it the other way round.
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