When were chimneys invented?

Answer 1

Chimneys were invented during the 12th century in Northern Europe, though we do not know who invented them, or precisely where. The oldest known example of a chimney dates from the year 1185.

Prior to the invention of the chimney, smoke was vented in various ways. One was to have a hole in the roof, possibly with a vent cover called a louver to keep rain out. Another was to vent through window-like holes high in the walls, possibly with louvers to keep birds and bats out. Another way, used in castle and monastery kitchens, was merely to have very large, high windows.

There was a thing called a smoke canopy, which gathered the smoke and vented it through the roof or a wall. A hearth that was situated against a stone wall, with a smoke canopy over it, looked rather like a fireplace, such as would have a chimney, even though no chimney existed.

There is a link below to a question on smoke canopies.

There is also a link to the history section of an article on chimneys, as well as a link to a picture of a great hall of the Late Middle Ages, with the hearth in the middle of the room.