What homes used to look like: 13 cabins, caves and huts through the years

Step inside these early small dwellings

Tiny homes may seem like a modern trend with countless books and TV shows celebrating the charm of compact living.

But long before the modern tiny home movement gained popularity our ancestors were embracing small-scale living constructing cabins huts and even caves. Let’s explore some of the world’s oldest tiny homes from neolithic villages to beehive-shaped shepherds' huts...

Discover the world’s oldest tiny homes, from neolithic villages to beehive-shaped shepherds' huts...

The Prehistoric Hut, Mezherich, Ukraine: from the Quaternary Ice Age

We’re so used to central heating, warm showers and electricity that it’s hard to imagine what came before. But this staggering archaeological find in Mezherich, Ukraine, vividly shows how our ancestors lived.

This prehistoric hut dates back an incredible 15,000 years and was built from mammoth bones during the Ice Age.

The Prehistoric Hut, Mezherich, Ukraine: from the Quaternary Ice Age

Discovered accidentally in 1965 by a Ukrainian farmer who unearthed a mammoth jawbone while attempting to expand his basement, this hut is one of four uncovered by professional archaeologists, constructed from 149 mammoth bones.

These shelters are thought to be some of the oldest homes constructed by prehistoric humans.

Skara Brae, Orkney Islands, Scotland: from the Stone Age

If you need proof of the enduring popularity of tiny homes, just look at Skara Brae, part of a wider UNESCO World Heritage Site. First built over 5,000 years ago, the prehistoric village is on the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland.

Experts estimate that the neolithic settlement was built and occupied between 3000BC and 2500BC, making it even older than the pyramids and Stonehenge.

Skara Brae, Orkney Islands, Scotland: from the Stone Age

The homes’ roofs no longer stand, but experts believe they would have been cone-shaped and made from materials like turf or straw, while the houses are circular and built from slabs of stone with one single room each.

The village is so well-preserved that you can still find original beds, dressers and shelves made from stone from within the tiny homes.

Village des Bories, Gordes, France: from the Bronze Age

The beautiful Village des Bories, set in the Provençal village of Gordes, is famous for its stone huts, called bories. First built 3000 years ago in the Bronze Age, the huts are shaped like beehives and constructed from limestone.

Incredibly, these homes were built with no mortar, using an intricate stone stacking technique instead.

Village des Bories, Gordes, France: from the Bronze Age

They were lived in by shepherds until the mid-19th century, and then were abandoned until they were restored in the 1970s.

Nowadays, the impressive collection of stone houses can be visited by tourists, who can also catch sight of ancient bread ovens and sheep pens.

Whithorn Roundhouse, Newton Stewart, Scotland: from 430BC

One of the more generously sized 'tiny homes', Whithorn Roundhouse in Scotland is a full-scale replica of an Iron Age roundhouse.

The structure was painstakingly built to match excavated examples of similar roundhouses found nearby at the Black Loch of Myrton in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, which date to approximately 430BC.

Whithorn Roundhouse, Newton Stewart, Scotland: from 430BC

Every part of the construction resembles the original, from its oak facade to its hazel rod flooring.

Archaeologists unearthing the original structure also found stone tools, a decorated spindle whorl used for spinning thread, and even cooking structures which, they said, “probably resembled modern pizza ovens” as reported by the BBC.

The Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy: from 1350-1400

Old doesn’t always mean picturesque, but the medieval Trulli houses of Alberobello in the southern Italian region of Puglia are certainly a delight to look at.

The typical limestone dwellings with their iconic conical roofs date as far back as the mid-14th century. They are so architecturally significant that their town is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy: from 1350-1400

The dry-stone huts are built with mortar, and their structure helps to keep the houses cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Fascinatingly, it seems that the unusual shape of the buildings was useful for a medieval form of tax avoidance.

Around the 15th century, residents of Alberobello were faced with sky-high taxes on property, so decided to build homes that could be dismantled easily in case tax inspectors came calling. Genius!

Casas de Santana, Madeira, Portugal: from 1401-1500

The traditional Casas de Santana are some of the most-visited attractions on the sunny Portuguese archipelago of Madeira.

Known for their traffic-stopping primary colours, triangular shapes and thatched roofs, the small homes date to the 15th century and nowadays sell tourist wares from their bright red front doors.

Casas de Santana, Madeira, Portugal: from 1401-1500

Traditionally, locals lived on the ground floor, with a separate kitchen and bedroom, while the attics were used to store agricultural produce.

The Casas de Santana are built from temperature-regulating wood, while their sloping roofs help rain to drain safely away.

The Quay House, Conwy, Wales: from 1501-1600

Known as the smallest house in Great Britain by the Guinness Book of Records, what the Quay House lacks in size it more than makes up for in character.

Measuring just 72 inches across, 122 inches high and 120 inches deep, the house manages to squeeze in a bedroom upstairs, a living room downstairs and even has a tap and cooking facilities.

The Quay House, Conwy, Wales: from 1501-1600

Dating back to the 16th century, the house has been lived in by a colourful variety of tenants, including a fisherman, a painter and a coachman.

Its last owner, interestingly, happened to be 6 foot 3 (1.9m), which must have been something of a challenge. In 1900 it was deemed unfit for habitation, but it’s still open to visitors today for a small fee.

Mortonson-Van Leer Log Cabin, New Jersey, USA: from 1601-1700

The Mortonson–Van Leer Log Cabin was first built in the 17th century along the north bank of Iowa's Raccoon River by a Swedish Finnish man named Morton Mortenson.

With no windows, one small room and a single door, it may not be the most appealing property to live in, but it’s historically significant as one of the oldest original log cabins of early Swedish Finnish architecture in the United States.

Mortonson-Van Leer Log Cabin, New Jersey, USA: from 1601-1700

It was once used as a station for the Underground Railroad before and during the American Civil War and was considered a safe space for slaves to go.

It has now been relocated. Its new location is safely within a church in Swedesboro, New Jersey.

Bult Karl-Eriks Stuga, Dalarna, Sweden: from 1601-1700

For a fascinating insight into centuries-old mining history, take a trip to Bult Karl-Erik's Stuga, which is in the old miners’ district of Elsborg in Falun, a city in central Sweden's Dalarna County.

The well-preserved little cottage was built in the 1600s and is typical of a miner’s cottage at the time, with a gable facing the street and only one room.

Bult Karl-Eriks Stuga, Dalarna, Sweden: from 1601-1700

The cosy house, panelled with distinctive red wood, is thought to be Falun’s smallest residential building with just nine square metres of living space.

It forms part of the UNESCO-protected Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun, which has been called “one of the most outstanding industrial monuments in the world” by the organisation.

Sopi Hut, Saaremaa, Estonia: From 1795

Saaremaa is Estonia’s largest island, measuring up at over 1,000 square miles (2590sqk). On Saaremaa, you’ll find Sopi Hut, which was built in 1795.

It’s the earliest-known forest-keeper’s house in the country and is free for visitors to explore.

Sopi Hut, Saaremaa, Estonia: from 1795

It’s in a picturesque spot in the middle of the forest and has a rudimentary interior. Inside, you’ll find space for three people to sleep, as well as a table, benches and a fireplace.

Outside, you'll find a dry toilet, a woodshed and an outdoor fireplace. Just imagine the past gatherings around it on colder nights.

Kellerman Log Cabin, New York, USA: from 1816

The Kellerman Log Cabin was built in 1816 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior, signifying its importance as a historical log cabin.

A rare example of a settlement era log cabin, and one of only five surviving log cabins in the upper Genesee Valley, it's an impressive structure.

Kellerman Log Cabin, New York, USA: from 1816

The small home measures in at just 20 foot by 24 foot (6m by 7.3m) and was built using stacked logs. In the 1970s, the cabin was moved from its original location to a public park to allow local authorities to ensure its protection.

It currently acts as the headquarters for a local historical society.

Corrour Bothy, Aberdeenshire, Scotland: from 1877

If you’ve ever been tempted to have a detox from modern life and get back to basics, there’s no better place to do it than a bothy.

A bothy is a simple shelter in a remote location that anyone can use free of charge: and when we say simple, we mean no running water, no beds, and no electricity.

Corrour is one of the most famous bothies, especially as it's Scotland's oldest, and it's much-loved by the bothy community.

Corrour Bothy, Aberdeenshire, Scotland: from 1877

Set in breathtaking countryside in Aberdeenshire, the bothy dates to 1877, when it was first built as a deer watchers’ hut.

Despite its humble origins, it was given a new lease of life in the 21st century, when mod cons such as wood lining and floor, insulation and even a toilet were installed for the comfort of visitors.

However, some previous guests were unhappy as their etchings of their stay dates were removed from the walls!

Sefton Bivouac, Canterbury, New Zealand: from 1917

New Zealand is full of breathtaking sights, and an ideal place from which to take in the postcard-perfect scenery is Sefton Bivouac.

It’s the oldest hut in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park that is still on its original site, which is in Canterbury on New Zealand’s South Island.

Sefton Bivouac, Canterbury, New Zealand: from 1917

First built in 1917, the bivouac has served generations of climbers, with its small, corrugated iron construction and distinctive orange hue a welcome sight to tired travellers.

Once you arrive at the tiny rest spot, which can fit up to four people, you can enjoy panoramic views of the mountain scenery around you in an awesome setting.