A quizzical look at long-gone smoke: the results of an experimental research project provide indications of how the extensive ceramic production of the Romans in the Eifel region caused air pollution. The apparently considerable burden seems to have played a role in the choice of locations for the ancient "industrial areas".
Our ancestors have been creating smoke and exhaust fumes ever since they made targeted use of the power of fire. Of course, the intensity then increased significantly as certain technologies developed. As is well known, this also applies to the production of ceramics: pottery is transformed into a stable state by the heat in kilns. This is how the ancient Romans made their tableware. As the University of Tier reports, it has been known for a long time that there was significant ceramics production in the Eifel region in Roman times. The Mayen location is particularly well-known for this.
Target ancient pottery industry
Recently, however, an ever-increasing extent in the region has become clear: The Leibniz Center for Archeology (LEIZA) under the direction of Holger Schaaff had systematically geophysically examined the area in the southern Eifel and uncovered new remains: According to this, there were between The towns of Speicher and Herforst were once the sites of numerous Roman potteries. The findings suggest that there was a real industrial area of unprecedented dimensions in ancient times. The question arose as to what this location was all about. Why weren't the facilities built closer to the then important Roman city of Trier?
The results of a research project at the University of Trier now suggest that air pollution also played a role in the choice of location in ancient times. In cooperation with the LEIZA, students of environmental geosciences investigated the air pollution potential of Roman kilns and how the "industrial areas" of the time could have affected their surroundings. This required information on how much fuel a Roman kiln consumed, how long the firing process lasted and what emissions were to be expected. This is exactly the information that the team in the Laboratory for Experimental Archeology at LEIZA found in replica kilns in the Mayen Volcano Park.
burdens are evident
Other aspects were also important, because the team was guided by the rules that apply today for the approval of industrial plants. This also includes an investigation into where air pollutants are typically carried by the wind at a specific location. The team therefore developed computer simulations of the spread of air pollution that could have emanated from the ancient kiln sites. For this purpose, weather data and digital terrain information were integrated into the models.
The results showed that the Roman furnaces, despite their modest size compared to today's plants, caused significant exhaust gases. Because they had no filters or emission control systems. According to the University of Trier, the simulation showed that, overall, a kiln would exceed the current limit values for air pollutants. The simulations show that this could obviously lead to problematic loads locally.
The Romans did not yet know what nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide could do. But they certainly didn't want to be exposed to unpleasant dust and odor trails. As the University of Trier finally emphasizes, this seems to be reflected in a finding that also emerged in the course of the investigations: According to the current conditions, the last known relocation of the ancient potteries in Mayen significantly improved the air quality in the area of the nearby Roman settlement. Maybe that's why the potters moved back then.
Source: University of Trier