How did your thatcher ancestor work? Old practices from the modern world….
Houses were roofed by some sort of thatch as soon as mankind left the cave. And what did we use? The nearest material to hand; reeds, straw, twigs and leaves.
South Africa, 2017
In South Africa, the materials used for thatching are locally sourced – here, local grasses.
thatching uses local material. © Adèle Emm
Health and safety considerations are minimal.
The thatcher at the bottom left throws the straw to the man at the top who places the thatch into position
Vietnam, 2016
Thatchers use local materials for the roof. In Vietnam, thatched roofs are generally made of coconut palms and bamboo. © Adèle Emm
local materials
Providing a modern day example of an ancient practice, in Vietnam coconut palms is used to thatch roofs of houses and barns. I even saw a beehive thatched with coconut palm.
Even beehives can be thatched. © Adèle Emm
Some boats used strips of bamboos to provide shelter for the boatmen. In the Mekong Delta family firms pre-construct roofs (the modern idea of prefabrication) to size and transport the finished product to the location by boat.
In the Mekong Delta, family firms pre-construct the roofs and transport them to the location by boat. © Adèle Emm
For more information on thatching, buy my book Tracing Your Trade and Craftsman Ancestors. Click here Pen and Sword) or here (Amazon).
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