around which they warmed themselves
 and cooked their food.
A stone tank in which to keep live fish bait.
And since we know that some of these houses
had drains underneath them,
they must also, believe it or not,
have had indoor toilets. Luxuries?
Well, the orthopaedically correct stone bed
may not seem particularly luxurious,
but the addition of layers of heather and straw
would certainly have softened the sleeping surface
and would actually have made this bed seem rather snug.
At the centre of it all, though,
was this spectacular dresser
on which our house-proud neolithic villagers
would have set out all of their most precious stuff.
Fine bone and ivory necklaces,
beautifully rolled and carved stone objects,
everything designed to make a grand interior statement.
Given the rudimentary nature of their tools,
it would have taken the villagers countless man-hours
to build not just these domestic dwellings,
but also the great circles of stone
where they would have gathered to worship.
Necessities? Well, at the centre, a hearth,