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Dakota fire pit?

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Bo T

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I did the google fu thing and got almost nothing. Anyone have any idea how long the Dakota (type) fire pit has been used? I am thinking it was well before the name "Dakota fire pit" was coined. I'd like to use it next year for a fur trade encampment.
 
The Dakota Fire Hole is probably paleolithic in origin. It was also known in Europe, and is the basis for a the British Army "kitchen" of the 18th century...., it was used as a basis for conserving fuel for the British Army. Clay cookstoves often found in South America are essentially man made, table top version of the fire-hole, again to save fuel. In the Dakotas it would have been a better way to burn Bison-pats, and to reduce the smoke signature from hostile view. I have seen it used as an experiment in how a Celtic man could get charcoal hot enough to preform basic metal working without a permanent forge, and as an explanation of how Vikings might have done the same after landing their longship on a foreign and hostile shore. The fire-hole alone does not get hot enough to really heat iron or steel, but it was found to amplify the stoking effect, and thus might have been used for emergency blacksmithing. (At least that was the conclusion from what I saw)
:idunno:



LD
 
Back to Ukrainem sites from last ice age, the people lived in long houses built on frame of big animal bones. They made these pits to burn bone . Even fired valves in the air hole to control heat. Made it possible to live in dry cold steep. Done in brick in a house you have the bugging of a Franklin stove.
 
Bugging is the original spelling for begging :shocked2: well that or I can blame spell check. + it was on my phone and fat thumbs hit wrong letters. Curse that qwerty guy.
 
I've only dabbled with these and not enough to have any informative experience to share. However, I've thought that the classic fire hole, that is actually two holes joined by a "tunnel" might be slightly improved upon by adapting the prairie dog tunnel as a model.

The P dog tunnel has one opening mounded up and a second that is not. It's opening is exactly at ground level. Wind blowing over the mounded hole causes a draft of fresh air to be drawn in from the lower hole. A Dakota fire hole built with the burning hole mounded up using dirt taken from the hole, with the air intake hole remaining flush with ground level might burn even hotter that a fire hole on which both the holes are at ground level, providing there is some wind of course.

The Dakota Fire Hole has been describe in US Army survival manuals going way back.
 
Nope. Most have a shallow pit and bank it. However, the encampment provides for some historical education. And such a fire pit might be new to some visitors.
 
Claude said:
Bo T said:
Not that I have read about. But, a lot probably knew about it.
When did they invent the hole in the ground? :wink:

When, yes, but more specifically are holes in the ground properly HC/PC? Did Dakota's actually dig 12-inch holes, or were they merely opportunists who only exploited holes found just laying around on the ground somewhere.
 
Lovely Straw man.
Doesn't address the original issue of whether this technique is historically-appropriate for the time and place...
 
The name "Dakota" fire hole should be a dead give away as to the historical authenticity...

The etymology of the word in native American has nothing to do with it....

Even if we can accurately date and place this type of fire, we need to rename it to the appropriate time period.
 
I would only use this fire hole in areas with mineral soil containing little organic material, where above-ground fires would be impractical due to fuel type/availability and conditions (wind). Too much danger of a ground-fire. A very real danger - there is a VW Bug-sized hole where we chased an underground fire as a result of poor fire placement by kids at camp.

Frankly speaking - too much work for a temporary camp...
 
Black Hand said:
I would only use this fire hole in areas with mineral soil containing little organic material, where above-ground fires would be impractical due to fuel type/availability and conditions (wind).

Like in the Dakotas?...... :haha:
 
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