Behind the Scenes
at Plimoth Plantation

Current articles in this section:

1. Firing Up the Kiln

2. Ordinarie Technology

3. Notes on a Shallop

4. Archaeology at Plimoth Plantation: Key to the Past

5. Maritime Programs at Plimoth Plantation

6. Recreating the Material Culture of Mayflower II

7. Documenting Mayflower II

8. Hands Across the Bay: A 1957 Crewmember Sails Again

9. A New Furnace for Mayflower II

10. The Story and Crew of 1957's Mayflower II

11. Why P-l-i-m-o-t-h?

Firing Up the Kiln

by Karen White

Debbie Mason, Master Potter at Plimoth Plantation, has been researching 17th-century kilns since she came to the Crafts Center in 1992. As all the Pilgrims’ pottery was carried over or imported from England, much of her research was done in that country. There she met David Dawson and Oliver Kent, two British historians who have spent 21 years researching, building and experimenting with 17th-century wood-fired kilns. In the summer of 2002, the time was right for the Plantation to attempt to build a kiln of its own, and the two Englishmen were on hand to lead the project that was funded in part by the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities (MFH).

Although there was no kiln and no potter in early Plymouth Colony, pottery was without doubt an important aspect of the colonists’ everyday life. They would have understood about kilns and known about the technology that created their milk pans and water jugs. Gaining a more complete understanding of the pottery– or any aspect of their daily lives—can be of great benefit to the Plantation’s artisans and costumed interpreters.

In 17th-century England potters were tradesmen who passed their skills along through a system of apprenticeship rather than through writing. There are no complete kilns left from that time. The kiln bricks were generally removed to be reused elsewhere when the kiln was no longer functioning or needed. Only a few skeletons of the underground section of kilns remain in England, and archaeologists trying to piece together a picture of a full and complete 1600s kiln have studied them extensively.

“Kilns of this type have been used in England from the 12th century into the 20th century. There is one built into a hillside in Dorset, England that was in use until the 1950s,” Debbie said. “Although wood-fired kilns are still used in some parts of the world today for firing pots, we needed to experiment with the kiln design to make it as accurate to the period as possible.”

The underground section of the Plantation’s kiln is modeled after kilns excavated in North Devon, England. It has two parallel fireboxes that extend three feet to the combustion chamber. There, support piers of crisscrossing bricks hold up the floor of the ware chamber which gets filled with pots.

For the upper section of the kiln, Debbie and the historians had to rely on educated guesswork. They knew how kilns worked and what resources and knowledge were available to a 17th-century potter, so they designed and built a circular firing chamber with a side door. For the roof, which had to be removable, they used clay tiles.

“By examining the scars and discoloration of the pottery of the period,” Debbie said, “it was clear that 17th-century potters stacked the raw pottery pieces on top of each other. Kiln furniture – clay shelves, props and stilts to separate the pots to avoid blemishes – did not come into use until much later.”

The first firing of the kiln lasted twelve hours. The entire process from loading the wood to cooling the pottery spanned a total of three days. Although not all the pieces came out perfectly, Debbie and her crew were able to determine where the hot and cool spots were in the firing chamber, and to make the appropriate adjustments to the openings in the chamber floor. Understanding how the heat is distributed helps with the placement of the pottery since certain clays can withstand higher temperatures than others.

A 17th-century potter, faced with the same uneven firing that is inevitable in such a kiln, would have made similar adjustments. “This is part of the learning process,” she said. “We see what went right or wrong. We can break pieces apart, and we can tell what the clay went through during the firing.”

Reaching the right temperature is imperative for pottery. Debbie measured the temperature in the kiln using modern methods such as pyrometers and clay cones but believes that the best method is that used in the 1600s – draw rings. Draw rings are small rings made of clay, either glazed or not depending on the pottery that is being fired. They are placed in the kiln and “drawn out” with rods when the fire gets hot. By examining the draw rings closely, an experienced potter can determine whether the fire is too hot, too cool, or just right.

By the second firing, which lasted nine hours and produced a much better product, the potters were getting a handle on the tricky technology; they were beginning to understand the kiln’s characteristics. A third firing in October was a great success.

As part of the museum’s mission a pilot program is being developed by Debbie Mason, project director, the Education Department and teachers from the Rising Tide Charter School in Plymouth. The goal is to create a curriculum unit that combines aspects of history, technology and art. As part of the museum’s ongoing programs, there will also be workshops and firings offered to the public.

Not only does the kiln provide a wonderful opportunity for Plimoth Plantation to demonstrate how pottery was fired in the 17th century, but it also allows the artisans to create more accurate pottery reproductions for use in the Village. Interest in the kiln has been high among both visitors and staff. Many of the costumed interpreters offered to assist with the firing. Visitors were also asking the interpreters more questions about the pottery pieces on the tables and shelves in the Village.

Debbie herself prefers the outdoor kiln to the electric kiln in the Crafts Center. “Although the modern kiln is more efficient and gives a consistent result, the potter’s involvement is over after the pots are loaded and the kiln lid is closed. Of course the power could go out …”

“With the wood-fired kiln the potter is involved throughout. The kiln has to be constantly stoked – adding wood to gradually raise the temperature in the ware chamber until the clay hardens and the glaze melts. The openings between the roof tiles allow the monitoring of the maturing of the glaze and when the glaze begins to melt it is time to let the kiln cool down – approximately 24 hours. A wood-fired kiln keeps you active until the cooling down period. And then comes the reward: unloading and seeing the various results. It is a lively, surprising and satisfying process: a whole different beast.”

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hours: from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, 7 days a week March 22 through November 30, 2008
address: 137 Warren Avenue, Plymouth, MA 02360 USA
telephone: 1 + 508 746 1622