Extreme heat signatures: 4,000+ degree vitrification. Vitrified pottery, brick, and plaster show temperatures exceeding 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit Some areas recorded temperatures over 8,000 degrees Fahrenheit Melted brick, melted pottery, melted plaster all present in the destruction matrix
The destruction layer at Tall el-Hammam shows evidence of extreme heat — melted brick, pottery, and plaster. Archaeological excavations revealed more than 12 meters of palace complex and massive mudbrick rampart were leveled. Unusual materials including melted mudbrick fragments, melted roofing clay, and melted pottery have been documented. However, the primary scientific paper (Bunch et al., 2021) supporting these extraordinary heat claims has been retracted by Nature, and specific expert attribution and temperature measurements cited in popular accounts have not been independently verified through peer-reviewed sources.
Key Facts
- Vitrified pottery, brick, and plaster show temperatures exceeding 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit
- Some areas recorded temperatures over 8,000 degrees Fahrenheit
- Melted brick, melted pottery, melted plaster all present in the destruction matrix
- Dr. Philip Silfen, bone expert with 200+ years collective career experience, stated the bones were burned in ways never seen before
- Bones from the palace destruction show unique burning patterns not observed in any other context
Related site: Tell el-Hammam — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Melted Brick, Airborne Pottery, Bones Burned - The Destruction Layer at Tal el-Hammam by The Cosmic Summit