Period: Early Pre-Roman Iron Age (c. 500-200 BC)

Project title: Keramikbrænding i jernalderen - om tolkningen af ovnkonstruktioner

Researcher: Lone Claudi Hansen, University of Copenhagen

E-mail: claudi(at)ofir.dk

Year: 2007

Abstract:

Some researchers are of the opinion that pottery in prehistory was fired in a pottery kiln, while others believe that there were no kilns, and the pottery was fired on an open fire instead. Nevertheless, archaeologists do find structures, which resemble pottery kilns.

This experiment aimed to throw light on the functions of these structures through an excavation of a reconstructed Hodde kiln from 1994 and the reconstruction of a Kildebjerg kiln from Pre-Roman Iron Age.

The 13-year-old Hodde kiln was collapsed and only barely visible above ground level. Below ground level, however, the kiln was very well preserved, maybe because it was situated in a very quiet area. Because of the intense heat stress, the perforated plate between the furnace room and the chamber was very well preserved unlike the plate in the original Hodde kiln. Thus the experiment confirmed the doubt that researchers have had that the Hodde kiln was in fact a two-chambered kiln.

Over 7 kg. of ceramics were found in the original Kildebjerg kiln, mostly superheated. The reconstruction of the kiln and the subsequent firing showed that the construction was well-suited for the firing of ceramics. To get a more detailed impression of the usability of the kiln, more experiments with firing of ceramics in the kiln and on open fire would have to be carried out. Questions of how much wood is needed and how many clay vessels survive the firing should be investigated.

Reference number: HAF 17/07