An overview of Italian pottery kilns in the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age

Starting from a systematic survey of pottery kilns attested in the Italian peninsula during the Bronze Age (2200-950 B.C.) and Iron Age (950-725 B.C.), this study will propose a classification based on the different firing methods used and their chronological articulation. The identified types are: - Open Firing - Pit Firing - Two pits with vertical or horizontal structure - Single deep pit with vertical structure - Fixed in stonework The chrono-typological articulation of kilns not only reflects technical developments, namely the shift from simple kilns during earlier periods to more complex structures in later times, but it is also related to the organization of production. The simplest types turn out to be the older ones, however, they are never wholly abandoned, and they are documented alongside the more recent types (even within the same sites), probably as a response to the need for producing different ceramic classes. The installation of such more complex kiln types is therefore put in relation to more specialized forms of craftsmanship, as evidenced by the presence of proper production areas in various sites dating mainly to the late Bronze Age.