Of course, taken from the vantage point of an anthropoligist, most home fireplaces, fire pits, and barbecues are examples of traditional hearths. I don’t mean to exclude our own culture from consideration in creating this particular classification. But what I do want to do is provide a few examples of hearths that are still used within the context of rural traditions.

Some years ago, in Eritrea, I was invited to a young man’s house for tea. We sat on his bed. Beside the bed he had a charcoal brazier. For me it was an epiphany — the kitchen is where the fire is.