The firing temperature of a persian-period pottery kiln at Tel Michal, Israel, estimated from the composition of its pottery

Abstract

The firing temperature of a Persian-period kiln excavated at Tel Michal (Makmish), on the Mediterranean coast north of Tel Aviv, Israel, is estimated from the composition of its pottery, using X-ray diffraction and IR spectroscopy methods. The kiln was built with two chambers: an upper one where the vessels were fired and a lower one for the burning. Storage jars that had been fired and remained inside the kiln are composed of lime tempers and quartz sand in a fired clay matrix that contains amorphous material and the high-temperature Ca-silicates gehlenite and anorthite. The tempers are composed of re-formed calcite. Thermal simulation indicates that the composition is compatible with a heating temperature of 800–900°C, which represents the firing temperature in the upper chamber of the kiln.