A ceramic kiln of the Early Bronze Age from Tel Lod in the southern Levant: Microarchaeological analyses and technological significance

A two-storey updraft ceramic kiln of mudbrick and clay, dated by associated ceramic finds to the Early Bronze (EB) IB period, and by radiocarbon dating to the end of the 4th millennium BC, has been found adjacent to a large, possibly public structure at Tel Lod. Mineralogical analysis based on Infrared spectroscopy demonstrates that temperatures between 700 and 800 °C were achieved in this installation, and thin sections analysis show that the mudbricks of the walls were intentionally enriched with quartz, a mineral known for its refractory properties. In contrast to open firing or pit kilns known from earlier periods, updraft kilns facilitate better control of the firing process and a more efficient use of fuel, allowing better mass production of durable ceramics of lighter weight that could be more easily transported in larger amounts over longer distances. Proto-Metallic Ware that was found at the site, also associated with the EB IB period, shows variable ranges of temperatures between 500 and 800 °C, indicating that such ceramics could also have been made in this installation. This is one of the earliest examples of this technology in the southern Levant and is observed to coincide with the beginnings of the first urbanization in this region, expressing a growing need for efficient mass production of well-fired ceramics for a market economy.