In my last few posts, I mentioned that I want to eventually make replicas of ancient farms, and that building with cob would be essential to that goal. The farm project is something that I have had in mind for years, but in various stages. It has always been a goal of mine to be self-sufficient. This goal started while I was still in school, as my best friend and I started designing estates we would like to own some day. I think I may have been heavily influenced by the show "Good Neighbors", a 70's British Comedy that focuses on a family that decides to become self sufficient with their own home. Yep, Urban Farming.
Well, the idea has slowly evolved into a very complex concept, involving a small farm, series of greenhouses for tropical crops, a small village for various uses, and historical influences that I would not have dreamed of before I started my History degree at the University of Utah.
The Problem Develops
The changes have all been due to events in my life that have required me to think more toward this project as incorporating more than just myself. As I got married, it included my wife and family. As various family members have run into hard times and have moved into my home, it extended to the family members. I quickly realized that the project alone would be too expensive for anyone to complete with modern construction techniques. Without the prospect of becoming rich anytime soon, I found myself getting discouraged.
The Problem-Solving Inspiration
Then I came across the website for the Butser Ancient Farm in Hampshire. The concept behind the farm was one that appealed to me: To build a farm that was an exact working replica of an ancient Celtic farm, with an addition of a Roman Villa constructed on the grounds as well. Suddenly, possibilities began to run through my head. They became more possible once I started researching the building materials: Wattle and daub, cob, and thatch.
The Cost-Effective Way
Up until now, I have been making plans half-heartedly by collecting several concepts and technologies that were great, but very expensive. For instance, I had a complex design for power that would be off-grid and compile solar, wind, and water generators. Any one of these technologies would be very expensive, and all three together would be cost prohibitive (unless I find that fabled money tree). Then there was the construction. Logs and stone are both very expensive.
Enter cob. Cob is a basic mixture of clay, sand, earth, and straw. If used on a wooden frame, it can be made into a thin wall that is called "wattle and daub". If built into a single monolithic structure, it is referred to as cob, or monolithic adobe. The building material is perhaps the oldest used, as several prehistoric societies have used cob in their buildings. This is why it's not as popular anymore: it's considered barbaric or uncivilized. Regardless, it's easy to work with, requires no extensive experience, and is more earthquake resistant than traditional adobe bricks.
So now I have found a low-cost building material, as most of the material would be on site. Suddenly, the farm becomes feasible! But there is more to the project than just the buildings. I intend to have a working farm that is low maintenance. This means I need to organize the project into manageable chunks, and focus on what I want to get out of the farm itself.
The Farm Plan
I want to have a farm that will provide the basic requirements for survival (shelter, food, warmth), and provide a source of revenue for continued survival in the existing economy. A single acre can provide shelter and enough food stuffs for a single family, with a small amount of revenue-generating crops that could achieve my goal. But I have more in mind: I want the source of revenue be educational as well.
So I will have the following layout: The main house will be a replica of the Castle of Invernglas, which was the home castle of the MacFarlane clan. I will then have at least two traditional cottages in the continental Celtic style (meaning rectangular). I then will have at least 4 insular Celtic buildings (circular), and I hope to build at least one Roman Villa. This will span the historical architecture for Scotland from the Celtic period to the 16th century.
I then hope to have a small village built with a couple of pedestrian cobbled lanes. This will provide space for a small market, with apartments above the shops. I will also have a large grassy pasture nearby, specifically for various sporting events. I hope the site will become a popular site for renaissance fairs and Scottish festivals. And yes, renting space will be a source of income. ^_^
There will then be pasture for sheep, a couple of goats, and probably only two cows for milk. Also, there will be fields of vegetables, a small fruit orchard, a bee hive, and grain. I also intend to build an artificial cave for ripening cheese. There will also be granaries and storage for root vegetables. And finally, there will be a pond as a small fish farm. This will constitute the ancient working farm, as all the technologies are fairly common and simple.
Now we get to the more modern portion. Solar power is ideal in Utah, as the skies are rarely cloudy (as it is a semi-arid region). Nanosolar has developed a high yield, low-cost solar sheet. While not currently available in a ready supply, it should be by the time I figure the farm will be possible. This will provide a large amount of power with existing roofing areas.
If I am able to locate a site with year-round running water, then I will most likely stick with a hydroelectric generator. Depending on the design and location, I may set up a small station, or build a water mill in a more traditional style.
There is also a possibility that I could use wind power, in which case I would build a traditional wind mill. The mill would then provide both power and a lodging to potential family members.
With the power in good supply, I will then build various greenhouses to start growing tropical crops. This will provide a solution that would become popular with farmers markets, as locally grown tropical plants can be ripened on the tree before picked, and will provide a better flavor. It will also be more cost effective, as shipping costs are not increased. Along with tropical plants, tropical fish crops can also be raised, providing for a source of truly fresh seafood within the area.
Well, that's the plan. It's really comprehensive, and will probably take the rest of my life to accomplish in the end. But this project that I have going on in my back yard is the first of many steps, and eventually should lead to the realization of my goal: To be self-sufficient and provide for the family. It also returns to the roots of civilization, which is the agricultural development of societies. The experiment will be interesting as a living anthropological study. Perhaps I will learn something of the ancestors who lived in these societies.
Showing posts with label ancient. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ancient. Show all posts
Friday, February 23, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Book Review: The Celts : A History
For those of you who know me rather well, you know that the majority of my family tree comes from Scotland. Many is the time that I have recited the immigration story, as I find it very unique. It was not the result of economic need and forced immigration as with many Highland villages. Nope, it was in an effort to escape from the wrath of royalty. Was this religious persecution or political pressure? No! It was because my ancestor lost his temper and threw his workman's tools into the front seat of Queen Victoria's favorite carriage. Why was this a problem, you may ask? Because it had to go through the dashboard to get to the front seat. Needless to say, he decided it was time to leave the country.
So, with that little tidbit out there, and with my BA in Ancient History, you may understand my fascination with the Celts of Britain and Ireland. They represent a large portion of my background, and indeed the background of a large percentage of those living in the United States and Canada. So I have been interested in researching the culture that has had a huge impact on my up-bringing, whether I was aware of it or not.
With that now understood, here is my review of The Celts: A History by Peter Berresford Ellis.
Thousands of years ago, before Rome was breaking itself from the Etruscan empire, there existed a group of people with a similar language, belief system, and cultural interaction (laws, crafts, etc.). These have been referred to as the Celts, representing a distribution from the Po Valley in modern Italy to the majorty of Spain, to the central region in modern Turkey (Galatia), Following the Rhine to the great Northern Islands of Britain and Ireland.
The Celts were an Iron Age people, which meant that they used Iron in much of their daily implementation from weapons to cookware. Because they can be grouped into this larger designation, many modern Archeologists have tried to deny the label of Celt to this culture, preferring to designate them "Iron Age" instead. Peter Ellis does an excellent job in explaining how the logical distinction between other Iron Age groups (i.e., the Greeks, Romans, Numedians, etc.) can be drawn with the use of linguistic and cultural lines.
Ellis then continues on to address the cultural aspects of the Celtic people, referring to both the insular Celts (Britain and Ireland), and the Gaulic, or Continental, Celts. These chapters seem to be in a defensive mood, first addressing those that question the existence of a "Celtic" people, and then defending the image of the Celts against the works of the Roman references to the Celtic tradition. In some portions of the book, such as when the question of human sacrifice is addressed, Ellis seems to attack the Roman criticisms by pointing out the Roman use of human sacrifice. But at no time does he admit to the Celtic use of human sacrifice, as archaeological evidence (i.e., bound and beaten victims found in bogs with golden bonds) has indicated. The closest he came to an admition is the acknowledgement that all Indo-European cultures have at some time performed human sacrifice. I would like to add, that in those instances it generally was a period of great need for the people, and seen as the only way to pacify particularly hostile dieties.
The first problem that is addressed in the book is that of no written cultural records in a native Celtic tongue. Ellis points out that the Celts had an Oral tradition that kept their records. For those that are not familiar with the Oral tradition of maintaining histories and cultural experiences, I would like to point out that both the Illiad and the Odyssey were both compositions that were handed down to Homer through an oral tradition, and many aspects have been proven historically accurate that would have been obscured at the time of Homer, some 300 years after the fall of Troy. So oral tradition has been proven to keep many facts accurate over long periods of time.
That being said, there are several written records by both Romanized and Christianized Celts, as well as ancient Irish records that help shed light on the Celtic culture and mythology. As such, it becomes the job of the scholar to wade through the biases that they are faced with to try to get a clear picture of the ancient Celts as they existed. The same it true for any book written, as all scholars have their own level of bias. Ellis is unique to a number of scholars that I have read in that he acknowledges that bias at the beginning of the book, and allows it to surface in assumptions could be made based on incomplete evidence.
The one portion that interested me the most was that of Celtic architecture. Nothing, in my mind, has more impact on a culture than their architecture. The Celts were incredibly practical when it came to their designs and buliding materials, and created villiages and cities that were easy to maintain as well as completely functional in their given environment. The best example that I can think of are the insular Celts and their use of round wattle and cob housing. The shape maximized the efficiency of heat retention, while the building materials provided for a quick and easy way to construct and maintain a lasting structure. A great example of such architecture can be found at the current Butser's Ancient Farm, where a number of ancient structures have been created in a 1 to 1 scale archaeological experiment.
For those interested in a quick introduction to Celtic belief systems, Ellis provides a comprehensive overview of the belief system as given to us by archaeological finds and existing epics in the old Irish. As one reads the evidence presented, it becomes clear how the Celts can be considered Indo-European, as it parallels various Sandskrit, Latin, and Germanic belief systems.
All in all, the book is an amazing read, and I would recommend it for anyone interested in a quick overview of the Ancient Celts as a cultural identity. The list of suggested reading also provides a number of additional references should you become interested in more indepth examinations into the Celtic peoples of the pre-Roman era.
So, with that little tidbit out there, and with my BA in Ancient History, you may understand my fascination with the Celts of Britain and Ireland. They represent a large portion of my background, and indeed the background of a large percentage of those living in the United States and Canada. So I have been interested in researching the culture that has had a huge impact on my up-bringing, whether I was aware of it or not.
With that now understood, here is my review of The Celts: A History by Peter Berresford Ellis.
Thousands of years ago, before Rome was breaking itself from the Etruscan empire, there existed a group of people with a similar language, belief system, and cultural interaction (laws, crafts, etc.). These have been referred to as the Celts, representing a distribution from the Po Valley in modern Italy to the majorty of Spain, to the central region in modern Turkey (Galatia), Following the Rhine to the great Northern Islands of Britain and Ireland.
The Celts were an Iron Age people, which meant that they used Iron in much of their daily implementation from weapons to cookware. Because they can be grouped into this larger designation, many modern Archeologists have tried to deny the label of Celt to this culture, preferring to designate them "Iron Age" instead. Peter Ellis does an excellent job in explaining how the logical distinction between other Iron Age groups (i.e., the Greeks, Romans, Numedians, etc.) can be drawn with the use of linguistic and cultural lines.
Ellis then continues on to address the cultural aspects of the Celtic people, referring to both the insular Celts (Britain and Ireland), and the Gaulic, or Continental, Celts. These chapters seem to be in a defensive mood, first addressing those that question the existence of a "Celtic" people, and then defending the image of the Celts against the works of the Roman references to the Celtic tradition. In some portions of the book, such as when the question of human sacrifice is addressed, Ellis seems to attack the Roman criticisms by pointing out the Roman use of human sacrifice. But at no time does he admit to the Celtic use of human sacrifice, as archaeological evidence (i.e., bound and beaten victims found in bogs with golden bonds) has indicated. The closest he came to an admition is the acknowledgement that all Indo-European cultures have at some time performed human sacrifice. I would like to add, that in those instances it generally was a period of great need for the people, and seen as the only way to pacify particularly hostile dieties.
The first problem that is addressed in the book is that of no written cultural records in a native Celtic tongue. Ellis points out that the Celts had an Oral tradition that kept their records. For those that are not familiar with the Oral tradition of maintaining histories and cultural experiences, I would like to point out that both the Illiad and the Odyssey were both compositions that were handed down to Homer through an oral tradition, and many aspects have been proven historically accurate that would have been obscured at the time of Homer, some 300 years after the fall of Troy. So oral tradition has been proven to keep many facts accurate over long periods of time.
That being said, there are several written records by both Romanized and Christianized Celts, as well as ancient Irish records that help shed light on the Celtic culture and mythology. As such, it becomes the job of the scholar to wade through the biases that they are faced with to try to get a clear picture of the ancient Celts as they existed. The same it true for any book written, as all scholars have their own level of bias. Ellis is unique to a number of scholars that I have read in that he acknowledges that bias at the beginning of the book, and allows it to surface in assumptions could be made based on incomplete evidence.
The one portion that interested me the most was that of Celtic architecture. Nothing, in my mind, has more impact on a culture than their architecture. The Celts were incredibly practical when it came to their designs and buliding materials, and created villiages and cities that were easy to maintain as well as completely functional in their given environment. The best example that I can think of are the insular Celts and their use of round wattle and cob housing. The shape maximized the efficiency of heat retention, while the building materials provided for a quick and easy way to construct and maintain a lasting structure. A great example of such architecture can be found at the current Butser's Ancient Farm, where a number of ancient structures have been created in a 1 to 1 scale archaeological experiment.
For those interested in a quick introduction to Celtic belief systems, Ellis provides a comprehensive overview of the belief system as given to us by archaeological finds and existing epics in the old Irish. As one reads the evidence presented, it becomes clear how the Celts can be considered Indo-European, as it parallels various Sandskrit, Latin, and Germanic belief systems.
All in all, the book is an amazing read, and I would recommend it for anyone interested in a quick overview of the Ancient Celts as a cultural identity. The list of suggested reading also provides a number of additional references should you become interested in more indepth examinations into the Celtic peoples of the pre-Roman era.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)