A Song Dynasty Roof Tile Kiln at Qijiaping: Gender and Pyrotechnology in Medieval China

Summary

During the 2016 and 2017 excavations at the site of Qijiaping, Guanghe, Gansu, China, the Tao River Archaeological Project excavated a large intact kiln that turned out to be a Song Dynasty roof tile kiln. The kiln is well preserved, and the first of its kind reported in an archaeological excavation in this region. Inside the flues of the kiln were many objects, deliberately disposed of, presumably at the moment when the kiln was put out of commission. Among these objects is a stone phallus in the central flue, potentially reflecting a gendered process of manufacturing associated with this kiln or its decommissioning. This paper aims to explore the role of gender in ceramic production and its association with pyrotechnology in medieval China within a broad social context.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21607