Ilan Sztulman/Tel Miqne-Ekron Excavation Project

Simulating the fire that once burned in this kiln, artificial light glows in the night in the upper city at Tel Miqne. Of the many kilns discovered in stratum VII (early 12th century B.C.E.) of the upper city, this square example is the best preserved. The stoking hole in front of the kiln leads into the lower chamber where fuel was loaded and where flues brought air to the fire. A mudbrick platform separates the lower chamber from the upper one, in which pottery would be placed to bake and harden. Apparently, Ekron included a busy industrial sector in Iron Age I. Vast amounts of pottery discovered in the vicinity of the kilns provided clear evidence of the ceramic products at Ekron.