Incredible Viking Turf Houses Built with Raw Materials Found on the Land

Incredible 1000-year-old Viking settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada.

The turf houses are built with timber frames that are load-bearing, and walls that are built with peat bricks that have been cut and dried from a nearby bog. Each wall actually has two layers of the bricks (inner and outer), with a layer of gravel sandwiched in the middle to help drain any moisture before it infiltrates to the interior of the structure.

It's incredible that the Vikings were able to build such beautiful and functional structures with limited building materials, and in such a harsh environment. The bog not only provided peat for building but bog iron they could use to create nails and other hardware they needed to repair their ships.

And here's a link where you can learn more about the L'Anse aux Meadows historic Viking settlement in Newfoundland:

Thanks for watching!

-------------------------------------------------------------
STAY IN TOUCH!
-------------------------------------------------------------

Facebook: /exploringalternativesblog
Instagram: @exploringalternatives

-------------------------------------------------------------
CREDITS
-------------------------------------------------------------
Music: Exploring Alternatives

Editing: Exploring Alternatives

Filming: Exploring Alternatives

[jimbobbob]

Those Viking knew a thing or two. Funny 1000 years later and we have damp homes

[grovermartin]

Gravel between the walls! Brilliant. Vertical French drains. Super savvy.

[thetarantella]

We have loads of them, here in Sweden. And should you ever visit Stockholm, head to Birka. OLAND, ONE OF THE BIGGER islands, have a place where you can see these houses as well

[janettawallace]

They look cozy inside. I would love to go in one to see it.

[dcnunez]

Wowza, so interesting! Hope you do more of these type of videos 🥰

[SideLemon]

Should have tried to make whiskey with all that peat

[irishcottagerenovation]

Brilliant. Would be great as a longer video as well.

[simonlinser]

I knew it. It's all about layers. And properties of stuff. But in layers. Layers. It's just like shrek said.

[yugeenlighroff]

In Sibiria, I saw same way of cross in entrance house, with horse head on top of beams. Same as in the video.

[the.one.who.doesnt.knock.]

something about seeing these buildings makes me want to make my own

[WisconsinWanderer]

Incredible build especially the gravel in the middle totally genius 😊

[pottingsoil]

Horrible for the environment. Don't use peat.

[samuelphillips]

I'm currently staying about twenty minutes from this site and it is amazing!

[Grace-sliq]

Amazing! But it’s good to know that can still be used today.

[vikingninja]

Ironiclly the country where i live(Netherlands) in the north around 100/70 years ago they used to dig up that stuff but the people where treated really badly and lived in poor conditions

[FrostedCornFlakes]

I'd would be horrible if you burnt it down having a fireplace pretty much up against the wall is an interesting place to have it

[DylanConroy]

The definition of minecraft those vikings knew exactly what they were doing they definitely blessed the gods on that day 😂

[anupdev]

They built far better homes 1000 years back than we do today. Today we have to deal with moisture, dampness, paint flaking off and spending a boatload of money on insulation to get a somewhat cozy home.

[jilltesell]

Very ingenious! My oonly issue with peat is te orger of peat. but those homes look so cozy and warm fot the wimter.

[JourneyWithUs]

❤❤❤Learn from those before us, Amazing