How did ancient folks keep warm with no radiators?

In ancient times when life condition is relatively poor, how did people resist the coldness?

Pepper Palace    

The Pepper Palace was built during the Han Dynasty, and the walls of the building were mixed with pepper. Thus, the room can generate fragrance and acquire a thermal layer.

It is said that even when there is heavy snow outside, the room is still as warm as in spring, with thriving flowers and plants in the yard.

Censer

Hand-warming censer in Western Han Dynasty, collected by Maoling Museum

Censer, the"hand-warming gadget" during the Western Han Dynasty, was widely used to keep warm by ancient people.

The censer was particularly used inside the house, which functions similarly to the carbon stove in current households. When sprinkled with aromatic ingredients, it becomes both the radiator and the source of fragrance. Small censers can even be carried in the sleeve as a "hand warmer".

Cotton Robe

The typical winter clothe in the Han Dynasty: Brocade Robe

Robe is originally a kind of underlinen. It is a long garment with the upper and lower parts connected into one. When added with soft and warm padding, it becomes a thermal robe, just like the down jacket we wear today.

Acquire warmth from food

Grided Tripod in the Han Dynasty, collected by Nanjing Museum

To keep warm in the winter, one has to eat. Food is an important source of calories for the body. For ancient people, hotpot is actually a small trick to keep warm.

In fact, hotpot became quite common in the Han Dynasty. People cook the food with boiled water or soup, and the ingredients stay boiled until fetched. This way, the food is still hot when eaten.