We have seen on p. 94 that Thoreau enjoyed sitting in his doorway musing on life and letting time pass. One suspects that human beings have spent time sitting by their doorways since time immemorial.

The photograph below shows the entrance of Cathole cave on the Gower peninsula in south Wales. It was lived in around 30,000 years ago. The cave is set half way up a cliff with a level platform in front

of it. (See the drawing on the right.) It is not hard to imagine the cave's inhabitants sitting just outside the cave's entrance on a sunny evening, cooking their food and talking.