Horváth László szerk.: Zalai Múzeum 17. (Közlemények Zala megye múzeumaiból, Zalaegerszeg, 2008)

KREITER ATTILA: A Celtic pottery kiln and ceramic technological study from Zalakomár-Alsó Csalit (S-W Hungary). Kelta edényégető kemence és kerámia technológiai megfigyelések Zalakomár-Alsó Csalit lelőhelyről

showing 27 cm in thickness. Thus the rib in the middle of the firing chamber shows more tapering towards its bottom than the round frame of the kiln. It is suggested that as a result of the conical shape of the kiln frame and rib, when the raised floor was fired first the twigs disintegrated and the floor shrank a little bit and moved downwards but because of the conical shape of the kiln frame and rib the raised floor stacked within the frame moving into its final position. This construction method is remarkable indicating an exceptional skill in kiln construction and an outstanding knowledge about the properties of raw materials. The flues of the kiln leading from the stokehole had a slight elevation towards the firing chamber. It had a domed clay roof over its whole length, which was 75 cm and its width was 119 cm. The domed flue was an integral part of the walls of the kiln and the floor of the flue was a continuation ofthat of the furnace chamber (Fig. 3). The opening of the flues was 32-33 cm wide and 17-18 cm high. The two openings were divided by a 25 cm wide rib. The flues tapered in plan, at the entrance they were narrower and towards the firing chamber they became slightly wider. The roof of the dome was horizontal. The firing chamber of the kiln from Zalakomár did not have a dome-shaped structure and no remains of a built-up structure could be identified. No fragments from or around the kiln indicate that the kiln had any kind of permanently built dome. It could be observed, however, that the top of the kiln frame was flat all around. It is assumed that if the kiln had a permanent dome structure the frame would not have been as flat and smoothed. For this reason it is highly probable that at each firing a temporary structure had to be built from either clay and/or some vegetal material. At the edge of the raised floor remains of brownish organic material was identified that may indicate the remains of a dome built from organic material. Discussion The pottery kiln at Zalakomár was situated at the edge of the settlement close to water. Situating kilns in this way is commonly observed at the La Tène settlements, for example, at Sajópetri-Hosszú-dülő (LT B2-C1), where the kilns are not only situated at the edge of the settlement but the potters' corner was even separated from the settlement by a ditch (SZABÓ-KRIVECZKY-CZAJLIK 2004, 27). In other cases such as at Mezőkeresztes-Cethalom (LT) the kilns are situated within the settlement (WOLF-SIMONYI 1997) similarly as at SopronKrautacker (JEREM 1984b). The shape of La Tène updraught kilns shows high variability. The majority of them are rounded (KOREK 1958, 79; HORVÁTH 1987, 63; ILON 1996-1997, 85) but horseshoe- (KULCSÁR 2004, 26), pear- (NAGY 1942, 163; PETŐ 1981, 34; BONIS 1981, 11) or rectangular-shaped (BONIS 1981, 11) kilns also came to light. The dimensions of the kilns also seem to vary. For example the diameter of a rounded kiln at Gór-Kápolnahalom is 90 cm (ILON 1996-1997, 85), at Garabonc-Ófalu is 130 cm (HORVÁTH 1987, 63) and at Sopron-Krautacker is 108 x 104 and 100 x 110 cm (JEREM 1984a, 59-60). Larger kilns were also observed for example at Békásmegyer where the kiln measured up to 3 metres in length and 190 cm in width (NAGY 1942, 163). The variations in the internal structures of the kilns are difficult to explain adequately and it seems that variations cannot be linked with kiln size. The choice between a pedestal in the axis of the firing chamber, a central pedestal or clay cylinders seems to be arbitrary. There is also variation among the pedestals. Some are built of clay (Sajópetri-Hosszú-dülő, SZABÓ KRIVECZKY-CZAJLIK 2004; Ózd, KOREK 1958, 79), others of stone (Sopron-Krautacker, JEREM 1984a, 60; Ordacsehi-Kis-töltés, KULCSÁR 2002) and there is also a report of a pedestal made from a raised floor of an old kiln (Ordacsehi-Cserefóld, SOMOGYI 2004, 20). The raised floors of La Téne kilns usually sat on a pedestal situated in the axis of the firing chamber (TANKÓ-CZAJLIK 2007) or on a single pedestal (BONIS 1981, 11). It has also been reported that at Ordacsehi-Csereföld (kiln 545) the raised floor was placed onto three vertically arranged hollow clay cylinders (SOMOGYI 2004, 20), while at Strachotin four cylindrical pedestals hold the raised floor (CIZMÁR 1987, 207, 211 Obr.3.5). At Gór-Kápolnahalom the raised clay floor sat on a clay pedestal situated in the middle of the kiln. It was 5 cm in thickness in general and the diameter of vent holes varied between 8-10 cm (ILON 1996-1997, 85). At Ózd the raised floor sat on a 20 cm thick pedestal that was situated across the middle of the kiln. The thickness of the raised floor was uncommonly thick showing 55-60 cm and the vent holes were distributed irregularly showing 4-5 cm in diameter (KOREK 1958, 79). At Garabonc-Ófalu the floor sat on a 40 cm wide pedestal running in the middle of the kiln. The floor was 8 cm in thickness. The vent holes were arranged in concentric circles in three rows and their diameter varied between 5-6 cm (HORVÁTH 1987, 63). At Sopron-Krautacker (kilns 151, 199) the floor of the kilns sat on a pedestal built of a worked stone placed in the axis of the firing chamber. The floor of