An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c21.s12.4

v1.c21.s12.4

When pottery is baked in a kiln there is not much wastage. It is also uniformly and adequately baked, free from smoke stains. But the process is not inexpensive. Kilns can be fired only by high-priced dry billets of hardwood or charcoal that gives intense, smoke-free flame. Also, the construction of a kiln involves a certain amount of capital expenditure. It would become profitable only if it is continuously used to meet the demands of a large pottery market. It is uneconomical for a peasant-potter working to meet the needs of his village. But it is doubtful if all the Harappa pottery was baked in kilns; it is likely that much of it was baked in open fires, which, as Mackay, 1938, points out, is common in Sind today. Mackay further observes that successful baking of pottery does not depend upon the type of baking device. In Kutch also there are potters who use open fires to produce as good pottery as the Harappa. The rarity of ancient Indian pottery kilns suggests that more than 99% of ancient Indian pottery was baked in open fires or in *gajaput* fires. But these baking practices do not leave behind any tangible relics.