Identification of Pottery Firing Structures Using the Thermal Characteristics of Firing

Firing is a key step in the operational sequence of pottery technology and firing procedures affect many pottery characteristics. It is not clear whether these characteristics can be attributed to specific types of pottery structures. Analysis of 72 experimental pottery firings with a wide range of firing structures has shown that a significant difference exists between one‐space and two‐space firings, at the very least. The main criterion for description of the firing process consists in the firing procedure rather than the type of firing structure itself. Some types of firing structures are flexible in terms of applicable firing procedures; others, on the contrary, permit only a narrow range of firing procedures.