World's oldest brush dwellings found at Ohalo II with grass bedding. Huts measured up to 4.5 meters long with floor areas ranging between 5 and 13 square meters Three huts had grass bedding on the floor made of weeds — the oldest known use of grass bedding Ancient people dug shallow oval depressions in soft bedrock, with centers further lowered by 20 to 30 cm
World's oldest brush dwellings — up to 4.5m long with 5–13 sq meter floors. Features the oldest grass bedding. Built in bedrock depressions with oak & willow branches. 🛖
Key Facts
- Huts measured up to 4.5 meters long with floor areas ranging between 5 and 13 square meters
- Three huts had grass bedding on the floor made of weeds — the oldest known use of grass bedding
- Ancient people dug shallow oval depressions in soft bedrock, with centers further lowered by 20 to 30 cm
- Brush walls built using thick branches of local oak and willow trees, with smaller leaf-bearing branches and grasses on top
- No post holes were identified, as construction did not require heavy central support logs
- Isolated stones deliberately placed vertically beneath hut floors, 20 to 40 cm apart, possibly supporting raised wooden installations
- One hut featured a large flat basalt stone floor set on lenses of yellow sand, with three successive phases of floor rebuilding
- All huts were purposefully burned at the end of their use life, likely before abandonment due to rising lake levels
Source: 23,000-Year-Old Settlement & Earliest Cultivation: Ohalo II | Ancient Architects by Ancient Architects