An underground home is a house or dwelling that either lies under the standard ground level on a flat piece of land or is built into a hillside or mountain side.
Interior of an underground dwelling in Coober Pedy
History
There is only written documentation of Scythian and German subterranean dwellings. Remnants have been found in Switzerland, Meklenburg, and southern Bavaria: "They had a round shape with a kettle-like widening at the bottom, from eleven to fifteen metres in diameter, and from two to four metres in depth."' (Proceedings by The International Congress of Americanists)
Construction Methods
In parts of rural Australia subterranean houses are built in a similar manner to prairie dog holes. There is a "chimney" placed higher than ground level and a lower, ground-level, entrance. This orientation causes a continuous breeze throughout the house, reducing or eliminating the need for air conditioning.
External Links
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "
Underground home."
