Steve Mills on tue 10 oct 00
Martin,
Your experiences with archaeologists is echoed by our experiences in the
West Country (UK). For some while we have been exploring primitive
firing techniques, prompted by my involvement (some years ago) with an
Iron Age Village re-creation project. Our conclusions, prompted by a
profusion of "Ground Ovens" on some sites received some support from the
work of the late Arne Bjorn, a Danish Archaeologist who found more solid
evidence at Hasseris on the German/Danish border. We found it
particularly infuriating when talking with the local Establishment to
have Bjorn's (and by inference, our) conclusions dismissed as not strong
enough to stand up to inspection, without being properly looked at. We
suspect a touch of sour grapes!
Never mind eh! We still enjoy building primitive kilns and firing them a
LOT higher than our Ancestors did. We are after all, true Pyromantics.
Steve
Bath
UK
In message , Martin Howard writes
>Cindy asks:-
>what is a Roman kiln, and why would you want to fire in one?
>
>Well, for the last two years East Anglian Potters have had a summer camp in
>which a Roman Kiln, as well as five other kinds of kiln, were formed, set
>and fired in the field next to a fellow member's home at Mill Barn Farm,
>Shotley, Suffolk.
>
>The roman kiln is described in the book Pottery in Roman Britain by Guy de
>la Bedoyere, published by Shire, ISBN 0 7478 04469 9.
>The basic plan is that an oval shaped area is dug out. Half is formed into
>the kiln and the other half, the windward half, is the area for the stokers
>to stand and get roasted. The wood is put in the stoking hole, slowly and
>only up to half its area, so that sufficient air can get in and be pulled
>through the firebox and upwards through the ware.
>The ware sits on a perforated clay table above the lower area where the hot
>gases circulate. The upper area of ware is then covered with old crock,
>turf, etc. It can be closed when 700 or if your lucky 800 degrees have been
>reached for reduction or left open for oxidation.
>Last year we closed it at about 700 because the stokers, slaves, were
>suffering from heat stroke and the supply of slaves was limited :-)
>The next week it was opened and the ware taken out. What was particularly
>interesting was that most was black or dark grey and very hard and durable,
>but some identical pots, next to the grey pots stayed red with no reduction
>at all.
>
>Why do it? As an historical experience and to gain knowledge of just how the
>Romans did it? It has certainly given me ideas about terra sigilata and
>burnished ware. Remember, the Romans did not have glaze, so there wasn't the
>problem of wares touching each other. They did fire samian and black
>burnished ware in tremendous quantity for export to England and elsewhere,
>because of the demand. The Roman order was very hierarchical and the upper
>classes would show off their polished red Samian ware.
>Then local potters took up the idea, to get in on that lucrative market but
>did not have the right clay or knowledge to accurately produce the same
>Samian result.
>
>I have been asked to attend a Roman Firing at Harlow Museum on Friday 20th
>October. Anyone interested in being there can write to the Museum Officer,
>Chris Lydamore on chris.lydamore@harlow.gov.uk
>
>At a Council for British Archaeology meeting in Braintree on Roman Towns of
>Essex, it was interesting to note the fascination that historians and
>archaeologists have in pottery, because of its dating properties, but also
>their relative lack of knowledge of pottery methodology. This was shown in
>recent TV Time Team programmes where Beryl Hines, member of EAPA and
>organiser of our Roman Kiln at Summer camp, was explaining that
>archaeologists rarely take note of things that a trained potter would. So we
>are often in the position that evidence which was or might have been there,
>was overlooked, because of the different aims of the two disciplines.
>
>I find the joining of disciplines, ideas etc part of my discipline as a
>potter and a former town planner. Therefore I find it difficult to
>understand otherwise well educated people who travel on straight tram lines,
>looking neither left or right. But their dedication to the one aim does get
>results that the rest of use should then use and spread out.
>
>Looking forward to being a two legged pyrometer slave again.
>
>Martin Howard
>Webb's Cottage Pottery
>Woolpits Road, Great Saling
>BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
>England
>martin@webbscottage.co.uk
>
--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
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