longhouse

A longhouse is a large, elongated dwelling used by various cultures around the world. While the exact form varies by region, it typically refers to a single building that shelters multiple families or kin groups, sometimes with a central passage or aisle. Longhouses are shaped by local materials, climate, and social organization.

In Northeast North America, Iroquoian-speaking peoples such as the Haudenosaunee and Huron built longhouses that could be several tens of metres long. They used a timber frame with bark or thatch coverings, and the interior was divided into individual family apartments along the length, with a central corridor. A communal fire supplied heat and light, and smoke escaped through openings in the roof. The longhouse functioned as the home of a clan or matrilineal kin group, reflecting social structure and shared duties.

Across Scandinavia and parts of Europe, Viking and medieval longhouses were rectangular, timber-framed buildings with thatched or turf roofs. They housed people and sometimes animals within a single roofed space on farmsteads. A central hearth heated the structure, with benches or platforms along the walls for living and storage. The design supported both domestic life and agricultural activity in rural communities.

In Southeast Asia, longhouses are common in riverine and upland regions, notably among Iban and other Dayak groups in Borneo. These longhouses are often elevated on stilts and extend for many meters. Built from split bamboo and timber with a long veranda running the length, they house multiple family units and serve as a social center for ceremonies and daily life.

Today, longhouses remain in use in some communities and appear in cultural heritage sites and tourism, preserving historical construction methods and social traditions.