Recent French excavations in Beirut, to the north and south of the "Place des Martyrs," have brought to light a large pottery workshop. A cylindrical kiln, with perforated wall that used to contain clay rods was still well preserved; rods were found in the waste. Wasters uncovered in a large embankment finalized the abandonment of the site towards the end of the 12th century. The discovery of several pottery kilns, in the immediate area as well as to the west and north, reinforces the hypothesis that this was a vast artisanal site. Local attribution of the ceramics is supported by chemical analysis. This new data permits one to define, with certainty, the various and principal types of clay used and of pottery made in Beirut: Coarse R...
