A Historical Perspective On Outdoor Fireplaces

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Outdoor fireplaces owe their popularity among many people of all ages mainly to the atmosphere they create when flames dance over burning logs under an open sky. When considering the installation and building of an individual outdoor fireplace for your garden, it may be interesting to consider the historical development of this kind of hearth which has undergone many changes in its design and purpose over the centuries.

Obviously, having an open fire in the outdoors is the most ancient use of fire known to man. Already in prehistoric times, hunters used fires at their campsite to generate warmth and for cooking their meals. Fire was a precious and important thing to have, as is evident in the importance of not letting the fire in a hearth die out in many early civilizations and up to the Middle Ages.

The first hearths that people who had settled down built in ancient cultures were also mostly outside. This was made possible due to the warm climates in which most of these populations lived. The danger of smoke accumulation inside the house was thus kept to a minimum, and many of the tasks requiring a fire could be done outside. Also, at this time, the first portable fireplaces like the ancient Mexican “chiminea” appeared.

Far removed from these primitive beginnings, outdoor fireplaces have reappeared in recent decades in most developed countries. However, now they are used mostly for recreational purposes. Before that, indoor fireplaces were much more important to many cultures, right until the availability of central heating removed the need for a permanent fireplace in most homes. Due to their new purpose, many more options are today available for outdoor fireplaces than in previous times. The range starts with simple fire pits and goes all the way up to expensive custom-built “outdoor stone fireplace designs” which will satisfy even the most demanding owner.

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