Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

. .
DURING 19 CENTURY: ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA 491
Upon closer examination, the furnace was found to be
composed of a series of seven (originally nine) arches rising
parallel to a southeast solid wall which terminated the whole
structure, and alternately joined to one another by fragments
of bricks in order to keep the single arches intact.
The vertical flues thereby formed descended into the vaulted
fire-box, which was about iVz feet wide, nearly as
ran lengthwise through the whole kiln.
high, and
But they also communicated
with a horizontal flue of the same length near
the top of the structure close to the rampart. The accompanying
cross-section of the restored building, drawn by
Fisher, will convey a tolerably clear idea of the manner in
which the building was heated, the necessary draft obtained,
The draft was
and the smoke discharged from the interior.
regulated by means of tiles
placed over the longitudinal flue,
or removed from the same.
The upper surface of this oven now appears worn off at
the edges and otherwise damaged, but originally it was
entirely level. The pots containing the food to be cooked
were put over the open spaces between the single arches.
Whenever they did not cover the entire space the remaining
openings were closed by bricks, several of which were
found in situ. In case pottery was to be burned, all the
available space was filled with different
kinds of earthen vessels.
Low
dishes were piled on the top of each
other, their sticking together being
prevented by small terra-cotta stilts
of precisely the same form as
those
used in the china manufactories of
Europe and America to-dav. They
were gathered in large quantities at n
,
o & a Babvlonian e# ~ ., Stilt. About„„ 2300 mM
b. „ c.
various parts and levels of the ruins. 1
Many enamelled dishes of the Parthian period were brought
1
Comp. p. 313, above.