Climbing kilns in India (Part two)
Climbing kilns in India
Although research on this type of kilns is still scarce, it would not be a surprise if it turns out that
the Chinese have found the most ecological means to fire bricks. It was described above that prior to the
Hoffmann oven all kilns were periodic ovens, but this is not entirely correct.
The early Chinese potters already built their kilns as a series of chambers in the side of a hill
(picture on the right) in the 5th century. The lowest chamber was fired first and the heat of combustion
ascended through the chambers higher up the hillside, pre-heating the ceramics. When a kiln chamber had
been fired, it was cooled down by air drawn through it from below. These Chinese climbing kilns – also
fuelled through holes in the roof – were the forerunners of the Hoffmann kiln.