Blomtak: Taktekking med bregner - Rekonstruksjon og historisk kontekst Blomtak: Thatching with Fern. Reconstruction and historical context, 2016
ABSTRACT
This thesis is the result of almost five months research on thatching with fern. In Nor... more ABSTRACT This thesis is the result of almost five months research on thatching with fern. In Norway called: Blomtak. The project aims to uncover the technology behind the phenomena and to understand its existence in time and space. The approach chosen is therefore both experimental, comparative and contextual. Despite the fact that many traditional building techniques in Norway have survived and well documented and others have been reanimated out of the little evidence and information often left, the so called Blomtak has not had its revival yet.
During this project different kind of sources have been sought through thoroughly to find information about the phenomena both in Norway as well as other parts of Europe. Unfortunately only little information was uncovered during this investigation in Norway, but analogies to fern-thatching were found on the British Isles where fern has been used for roof covering through many centuries.
The comparative approach to these ethnographic analogies has contributed to the wider understanding of the phenomena in Norway.
Based on what seemed to be the only Norwegian description left how to use fern as thatching material collected by professor Per Gjærder in the nineteen-seventies I made a practical attempt to thatch with fern. To small test-fields gave me practical knowledge on both fern as a material, to collect the fern and thatching with it. Though given the time available to this research this practical approach was very basic and further research has to be done to answer many of the questions asked initially.
The contextual analysis aimed to see and understand the phenomena in a greater perspective beyond the technological part; mainly its historical and economic context. Was this phenomena restricted to certain areas, people, buildings or eras? It seems, as many other traditional craft and building techniques, to belong in the pre-industrial era.
The project also looked into the choice of material used for Blomtak; Fern and tries to understand both choice and usage in its original context. As Blomtak is part of a large group of different roofing materials used in this country I even discuss if and in which way this diversity is represented at folk museums in Norway.
The Stone Age hut at Storsanden - a "re-construction" of a hut from the Scandinavian Younger Ston... more The Stone Age hut at Storsanden - a "re-construction" of a hut from the Scandinavian Younger Stone Age in Arctic Norway
The Stone Age hut at Storsanden - a "Re-construction" of a hut from the Scandinavian Younger Ston... more The Stone Age hut at Storsanden - a "Re-construction" of a hut from the Scandinavian Younger Stone Age in Arctic Norway
Blomtak: Taktekking med bregner - Rekonstruksjon og historisk kontekst Blomtak: Thatching with Fern. Reconstruction and historical context, 2016
ABSTRACT
This thesis is the result of almost five months research on thatching with fern. In Nor... more ABSTRACT This thesis is the result of almost five months research on thatching with fern. In Norway called: Blomtak. The project aims to uncover the technology behind the phenomena and to understand its existence in time and space. The approach chosen is therefore both experimental, comparative and contextual. Despite the fact that many traditional building techniques in Norway have survived and well documented and others have been reanimated out of the little evidence and information often left, the so called Blomtak has not had its revival yet.
During this project different kind of sources have been sought through thoroughly to find information about the phenomena both in Norway as well as other parts of Europe. Unfortunately only little information was uncovered during this investigation in Norway, but analogies to fern-thatching were found on the British Isles where fern has been used for roof covering through many centuries.
The comparative approach to these ethnographic analogies has contributed to the wider understanding of the phenomena in Norway.
Based on what seemed to be the only Norwegian description left how to use fern as thatching material collected by professor Per Gjærder in the nineteen-seventies I made a practical attempt to thatch with fern. To small test-fields gave me practical knowledge on both fern as a material, to collect the fern and thatching with it. Though given the time available to this research this practical approach was very basic and further research has to be done to answer many of the questions asked initially.
The contextual analysis aimed to see and understand the phenomena in a greater perspective beyond the technological part; mainly its historical and economic context. Was this phenomena restricted to certain areas, people, buildings or eras? It seems, as many other traditional craft and building techniques, to belong in the pre-industrial era.
The project also looked into the choice of material used for Blomtak; Fern and tries to understand both choice and usage in its original context. As Blomtak is part of a large group of different roofing materials used in this country I even discuss if and in which way this diversity is represented at folk museums in Norway.
The Stone Age hut at Storsanden - a "re-construction" of a hut from the Scandinavian Younger Ston... more The Stone Age hut at Storsanden - a "re-construction" of a hut from the Scandinavian Younger Stone Age in Arctic Norway
The Stone Age hut at Storsanden - a "Re-construction" of a hut from the Scandinavian Younger Ston... more The Stone Age hut at Storsanden - a "Re-construction" of a hut from the Scandinavian Younger Stone Age in Arctic Norway
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This thesis is the result of almost five months research on thatching with fern. In Norway called: Blomtak. The project aims to uncover the technology behind the phenomena and to understand its existence in time and space. The approach chosen is therefore both experimental, comparative and contextual. Despite the fact that many traditional building techniques in Norway have survived and well documented and others have been reanimated out of the little evidence and information often left, the so called Blomtak has not had its revival yet.
During this project different kind of sources have been sought through thoroughly to find information about the phenomena both in Norway as well as other parts of Europe. Unfortunately only little information was uncovered during this investigation in Norway, but analogies to fern-thatching were found on the British Isles where fern has been used for roof covering through many centuries.
The comparative approach to these ethnographic analogies has contributed to the wider understanding of the phenomena in Norway.
Based on what seemed to be the only Norwegian description left how to use fern as thatching material collected by professor Per Gjærder in the nineteen-seventies I made a practical attempt to thatch with fern. To small test-fields gave me practical knowledge on both fern as a material, to collect the fern and thatching with it. Though given the time available to this research this practical approach was very basic and further research has to be done to answer many of the questions asked initially.
The contextual analysis aimed to see and understand the phenomena in a greater perspective beyond the technological part; mainly its historical and economic context. Was this phenomena restricted to certain areas, people, buildings or eras? It seems, as many other traditional craft and building techniques, to belong in the pre-industrial era.
The project also looked into the choice of material used for Blomtak; Fern and tries to understand both choice and usage in its original context.
As Blomtak is part of a large group of different roofing materials used in this country I even discuss if and in which way this diversity is represented at folk museums in Norway.
Teaching Documents
This thesis is the result of almost five months research on thatching with fern. In Norway called: Blomtak. The project aims to uncover the technology behind the phenomena and to understand its existence in time and space. The approach chosen is therefore both experimental, comparative and contextual. Despite the fact that many traditional building techniques in Norway have survived and well documented and others have been reanimated out of the little evidence and information often left, the so called Blomtak has not had its revival yet.
During this project different kind of sources have been sought through thoroughly to find information about the phenomena both in Norway as well as other parts of Europe. Unfortunately only little information was uncovered during this investigation in Norway, but analogies to fern-thatching were found on the British Isles where fern has been used for roof covering through many centuries.
The comparative approach to these ethnographic analogies has contributed to the wider understanding of the phenomena in Norway.
Based on what seemed to be the only Norwegian description left how to use fern as thatching material collected by professor Per Gjærder in the nineteen-seventies I made a practical attempt to thatch with fern. To small test-fields gave me practical knowledge on both fern as a material, to collect the fern and thatching with it. Though given the time available to this research this practical approach was very basic and further research has to be done to answer many of the questions asked initially.
The contextual analysis aimed to see and understand the phenomena in a greater perspective beyond the technological part; mainly its historical and economic context. Was this phenomena restricted to certain areas, people, buildings or eras? It seems, as many other traditional craft and building techniques, to belong in the pre-industrial era.
The project also looked into the choice of material used for Blomtak; Fern and tries to understand both choice and usage in its original context.
As Blomtak is part of a large group of different roofing materials used in this country I even discuss if and in which way this diversity is represented at folk museums in Norway.