The Late Medieval Vessel Stove Tiles in the Topographical Context of Klaipeda/Hiliskeskaegsed Ahjupotid Klaipeda Topograafilises Kontekstis

Abstract

Introduction The appearance of tiled stoves in Europe marks a decisive point in the development of heating systems. As a result of this innovation, living conditions changed not only in castles, monasteries and estates but also within the houses of townspeople. It was not without good reason that tile stoves began to be depicted on frescoes or calendar miniatures throughout the 13th and 14th centuries (Henkel 1999, Plate 1: A1-A4). Stove tiles, which were integrated into a clay cupola and reminiscent of the vessels used in daily life, allowed heat to be more effectively accumulated and radiated through living spaces. It was the effectiveness of tiled stoves and the simple method of production used for the stove tiles themselves that determined the popularity of this heating device. A basic knowledge of pottery-making was sufficient for the production of vessel stove tiles. It should therefore come as no surprise that the first tiled stoves, which were first built in the Alpine region in the 12th century (Hallenkamp-Lumpe 2006, 4), soon after spread into other regions. Klaipeda, whose history began in 1252 when the Teutonic Order founded a castle on the shore of the Baltic Sea close to Curonian Lagoon, was no exception. It is not easy, however, to answer the question of what form of heating system the first settlers of Klaipeda chose to install. The reconstruction of the castle and fortification changed the topographical face of the town more than once. As a result, nearly all of the oldest cultural layers of the town were destroyed, while archaeological finds have lost their initial chronological context. The vortex of these events also affected the medieval vessel tiles of Klaipeda to which this article is dedicated. Vessel stove tiles have so far been little researched, with previous investigators having acknowledged that the specific nature of these tiles requires a separate study (Genys 1984, 43). Although an evolutionary scheme which accounts for their development has been composed (Zulkus 2002, fig. 96), it has, however, remained undiscussed within the archaeological texts (Zulkus & Genys 1984; Genys 1989). Furthermore, the technological and morphological changes that the tiles experienced over the passage of time are yet to be detailed. This article aims to establish when the first tiled stoves were built in Klaipeda and to identify what features reveal their development not only during the late Middle Ages but also during the early modern period. To achieve this aim, an analysis and comparison of the morphological and technological features is carried out. In order to ascertain the prevalence of the oldest vessel tiles, their find sites and archaeological context are discussed. Moreover, the article attempts to update the topographical changes experienced by the town and historical events which may have determined the renewal of household devices, including tiled stoves, in the houses of the townspeople. This analysis is based on artefacts kept in the Lithuania Minor History Museum in Klaipeda. A systematic analysis established that during the archaeological investigations carried out in Klaipeda Old Town and the territory of the castle in 1974-2008, a total of 2700 vessel tiles and their fragments were accumulated. Their chronology encompasses the period from the second half of the 14th century to the 18th century. According to their find context, the stove tiles can be divided into three groups. The first group includes stove tiles which were uncovered in undisturbed cultural layers which were unproblematic to date. They constitute 32% of all vessel tiles found in Klaipeda. Meanwhile the stove tiles from the town's dump, which according to archaeological data was piled in the first half of the 16th century, make up the second group (39%). A significant number of stove tiles with features characteristic of material from the late medieval period and the early modern period were found at this site. …