furnace, kiln or oven

This paper presents the results of experimental smelting of local copper ores from two sites in Moravia, Czech Republic (Štěpánov nad Svratkou and Lipová-lázně), aimed at testing whether these small, previously unstudied deposits were suitable for prehistoric copper production. High-purity malachite from the Shilu mine (China) served as a reference ore. A hemispherical, partially sunken furnace was used together with three ore-charging methods (graphite crucible, clay ball, direct furnace charge) and two air-supply systems (lever-operated bellows and elder blowpipes). Both Moravian ores were successfully reduced to metallic copper of high purity (>99%), confirming their smeltability despite lower copper content and higher gangue proportions than the reference ore.

The process of how seemingly deliberate black colour on ancient decorated pottery was achieved in various cultures throughout history has been of great interest to me as a potter for several years. Many modern potters with the same interest have replicated black, or combinations of black and other colours on the surface of vessels with various minerals, clay, and firing techniques (Ward, 2026). 

From 2001 to 2026, a total of 101 individual bloomery iron smelts have been carried out either directly or with significant participation by Darrell Markewitz. The bulk of this work was undertaken at Wareham in Central Ontario, Canada. The total includes project work in the USA, Scotland, Denmark, Ireland and Poland. The primary supporting team was made up of members of the Dark ages Re-Creation Company who undertook an additional two smelts included here. Overall, this experimental research is unique in Canada. .

We present the result of our fieldwork conducted in the Riff area (Morocco), where, through the participant observation technique, we have analysed the characteristics and functioning of several bread-baking traditional ovens that are still working in the region. We were able to observe the chaîne opératoire of the process of baking bread...

This study assesses the impact of firing on burnished ceramic surfaces. For this task, two main factors related to burnishing were examined and evaluated, the reflection of the ceramics and pottery surface sheen. Macroscopic observations on the burnished surface were made with the naked eye...

Indus Valley Civilization flourished in India and Pakistan owing to its technological advancements dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. The present paper aims to trace the emergence of pyrotechnology through documenting the industrial settlements that have been excavated in recent years, as well as locating the potential trading network for the craft items being produced at these small settlements on...

A case study of a practical experimental test. Through 2019, much was made in the popular press suggesting that during the Viking Age, exhumed human bone had been used in the chain of production from iron ore through to finished swords. Contradicting this, considerable experience with small scale direct reduction process bloomery iron smelting furnaces indicated...

This article presents an experimental archaeology project that aimed to reproduce the Hellenistic Greek pottery production process. The project's main research questions were focused on understanding how locally available raw materials and climatic conditions influenced the production process and how the process created social networks with the local community...

Culinary culture has played an essential role in the configuration and interaction of human societies throughout history, shaping both individual and collective identities. Like the modern Mediterranean diet, Phoenician-Punic subsistence relied on cereals, often in the form of...

This experiment, undertaken over a 12-month period in 2015 at Norton Priory Museum in Cheshire, formed part of a pedagogic case study and an experimental archaeology project. Here eight Archaeology and 12 Ceramics students from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) researched, built, and fired a tile kiln using evidence from previous experimental archaeology projects on the site and other firing projects...