Firing pots in the Iron Age: an excursus on pottery kilns

This lesson explores the world of pottery firing during the Iron Age, offering an overview of the pyrotechnological practices and structural solutions adopted by ancient communities to transform clay into ceramic. The first part focuses on firing methodologies, examining the different techniques employed — from open firing to more structured approaches — and the variables that influenced the final outcome of the ceramic production.

The second part is dedicated to the typology of kilns attested in the Iron Age, discussing how these structures can be identified, documented and analysed in the archaeological record. Particular attention will be given to the methodological tools available to researchers for extracting the maximum amount of information from kiln remains.

Finally, the lesson will draw a comparative perspective between the Italian peninsula and Central Europe, highlighting both the technological similarities and the regional differences that characterise pottery firing traditions across these two areas during the Iron Age, and reflecting on what these variations may tell us about cultural contacts, local innovations and the organisation of craft production.