An oven at the dawn of art
In 1924, systematic excavations began at a Paleolithic site in Dolní Věstonice, led by archaeologist Karel Absolon. Among the mammoth bones and stone tools, his team uncovered the remains of huts, hearths, and two kilns. This was a permanent settlement; evidence points to a settlement of around 100 people who lived here approximately 27,000 years ago during the Gravettian period. Inside one specialized hut, researchers found a clay oven with high walls and thousands of ceramic fragments. This structure is one of the earliest known examples of a kiln, an oven capable of reaching the high temperatures needed to fire clay.
Analysis of the local soil and the ceramic fragments shows a perfect match. The people of Dolní Věstonice used the surrounding loess, a fine silt, to fashion their objects. They also mixed in powdered mammoth bone, which helped the clay heat more evenly and prevented some cracking during firing. The kiln could reach temperatures between 500 and 800 degrees Celsius (932 to 1472°F). This process, known as sintering, permanently hardened the clay, creating true ceramics. The invention was a major technological step, but it was not for pottery. The people here made no bowls, cups, or practical vessels. Instead, they created thousands of small figurines.