I am a farmer, and I live with my family in a roundhouse made of wood and mud, with a thatched straw roof. We only have one room where we work, cook, eat and sleep. There is a fire in the middle of the room for cooking and to keep us warm. Most of my time is spent outside. I keep animals - sheep, cows, pigs and chickens. I also grow crops like wheat, barley and beans.
In spring I sow the seeds, after ploughing my fields to break up the soil.
Baby animals are born then, and my wife is busy making cheeses from the sheep's and cows' milk. I take the sheep up into the Downs, where my children look after them. The cattle are moved to the meadows by the river. Summer is the best time of year when the days are long and warm. We spend hours in the fields weeding so that the crops grow well.
At the end of summer we cut the wheat and barley, and then beat the stalks to remove the grain. Some of the wheat is stored in pits, to plant next year, but most is put into huts so we can use it to make bread and porridge. The huts are raised on wooden poles so that mice cannot reach the grain.
After the harvest everyone goes to the temple. We offer the gods some of our harvest and animals to thank them for their help. Then we have a feast, because we know we have enough food for the winter months ahead.
As the colder weather comes, we move our animals onto the fields. There they eat any leftover wheat seeds and manure the ground.
In winter the days are very short, cold and dark. I care for the animals outside, mend my equipment, and make sure there is enough wood for the fire.
In spring I sow the seeds, after ploughing my fields to break up the soil.
Baby animals are born then, and my wife is busy making cheeses from the sheep's and cows' milk. I take the sheep up into the Downs, where my children look after them. The cattle are moved to the meadows by the river. Summer is the best time of year when the days are long and warm. We spend hours in the fields weeding so that the crops grow well.
At the end of summer we cut the wheat and barley, and then beat the stalks to remove the grain. Some of the wheat is stored in pits, to plant next year, but most is put into huts so we can use it to make bread and porridge. The huts are raised on wooden poles so that mice cannot reach the grain.
After the harvest everyone goes to the temple. We offer the gods some of our harvest and animals to thank them for their help. Then we have a feast, because we know we have enough food for the winter months ahead.
As the colder weather comes, we move our animals onto the fields. There they eat any leftover wheat seeds and manure the ground.
In winter the days are very short, cold and dark. I care for the animals outside, mend my equipment, and make sure there is enough wood for the fire.