(Re)Construction of a Roman Furnace for Glass Melting

The aim of the paper is to discuss an experiment concerning the (re)construction, structure and use of a Roman glass furnace. In the course of the designing of the experiment, a scheme proposed by Coles was used. e (re)construction was based on three categories of sources: archaeological (a find of a furnace from Hambach Forst), iconographic (olive lamps with depictions of furnaces), as well as earlier experiments of this kind. e feature in question was a two-level cupola furnace. For its construction, specially prepared roofing tiles, sandstone and clay with an admixture of sand and hay were used. Oak and birch wood was used to heat the furnace. Temperature values in the furnace were measured with a pyrometer in four spots. The following conclusions were drawn: it was not possible to achieve the required temperature in the furnace due to a too small opening in the fire-grate and the use of fresh and unseasoned wood. Furthermore, errors were made in the course of the construction of the furnace. These were: an improperly built part of the fire chamber wall and too flat arcs above the openings in the furnace. The validity of these conclusions was checked; the opening in the fire-grate was enlarged; seasoned oak and birch wood was used, and the cracks were fixed and filled up. No accurate temperature measurements were taken in the course of the second "ring. However, in all probability a sufficiently high temperature was achieved, as glass cullet in the furnace melted