A Comparison of two Merovingian Pottery Kilns Found in Belgium

Results of the Experiment and Tool for Experimental Research
Line van Wersch (1), Marie Demelenne (2), Sylvie De Longueville (3), Véronique Danese (3,4)
1 Université de Liège-CNRS Arscan, Belgium
2 Musée Royal de Mariemont, Belgium
3 Awap, Belgium
4 Ceram Histo group, Belgium
If the Merovingian pottery is quite well known thanks to the wares found in the graves, many grey areas remain for the organization of this craft. The kilns known for the period are so different in size and fitting that one could wonder if the potters were part of the same communities of practice.
Within the framework of the exhibition 'The World of Clovis' at the Royal Museum of Mariemont, we reconstructed two distinct types of kilns discovered recently in current Belgium: the first, from Quévy-le-Grand, with central circular pilar and the second, from Namur, with a central wall and floor. The aim was to compare the functioning of the two structures. We defined the temperatures reached, the time, energy and equipment required as well as the quantities produced. We assessed to what extent the control of these tools was similar or different. Questions related to the know-how and social organization of production could thus be addressed, such as the division of tasks and the specialization of the craftsmen who worked on these two sites.
The experiment also allowed us to use a methodological analysis sheet when preparing and evaluating these actions. This tool, designed by M. Demelenne within her doctoral research, allows to consider the research work in its various scientific, pedagogical, and ethical aspects in a structured and coherent way. The grid comprising approximately 160 criteria can be used as an observation and analysis tool but also as a memory aid when preparing an experimental activity.
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