Fire has played a crucial role in the history of man from the beginning. Used initially as a source of heat and as a means of cooking as knowledge and innovation developed then metal forging using fire began opening the door to all kinds of innovations.

Uncontrolled fire is of no use for any of these purposes though which is how outdoor fire pits came to be. Outdoor fire pits are loosely defined as a surface that is below ground level that can withstand and contain a fire while still maintaining it. This is a very basic definition though and fire pits have become far more than just a whole in the ground.

The Ancient Romans were one of the first civilizations to take the concept of the basic outdoor fire pit and put it to other uses. Their outdoor fire pits could be elaborate affairs that were attractive as they were functional. They then invented the hypocaust, a ancient ancestor of the under floor heating that many people consider so sophisticated today. Outdoor fire pit designs were refined for use indoors and then built into the basement of a home and then using flues and chimneys the heat from these pits was circulated to the floors above. Hypocausts were used to heat the homes of the wealthier Roman citizens and also to provide the heat and hot water for the public bath houses.

The overall look of the Roman fire pit still serves as an inspiration for some of the designs for the outdoor fire pits you see installed as landscaping features in homes today. Eventually the Romans further developed their heating systems and replaced hypocausts with charcoal braziers but like many of their other inventions and innovations the concept of a well-built fire pit, created using fire resistant yet still attractive stone and brick is still influential centuries later.