SC - period ovens

[margali]

Krak de Chevaliers?

It could be that they had a light plank roof or a canvas roof, enough to keep
the sun off and any occasional rain, but left mostly open to let the heat escape
up and away from the workers?
margali


> A couple of weeks ago I was at a krak (crusader castle) which still had the
> kitchen pretty much intact.  Well, roofless, but it was mostly there.  There
> were 3 beehive/igloo ovens all in a row, about 3 feet across, and maybe
> about 2 1/2 feet high, plus there was a fireplace next to them, just a small
> one about 2' square.  They were all built into the same wall, and
> consequently shared one very wide chimney.  There was a large room which
> held the mouths of the ovens, and a small room maybe 8' across which held
> the hive part of the ovens and the open fireplace and, IIRC, some sort of
> bench arrangement.  Leaving aside the bench bit (oh dear, I'll just have to
> go back and check...), why would there be a small, very hot room for the
> open fire?  What might it have been used for?  The other was specifically
> stated to have been the kitchen.
> Cairistiona
>
> P