th ▁used ▁for ▁he ating ▁and ▁cook ing . ▁ ▁O vens ▁were ▁used ▁by ▁cult ures ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁Ind us ▁Valley ▁and ▁in ▁pre - d yn astic ▁Egypt . ▁By ▁ 3 2 0 0 ▁BC , ▁each ▁mud - br ick ▁house ▁had ▁an ▁o ven ▁in ▁settlement s ▁across ▁the ▁Ind us ▁Valley . ▁O vens ▁were ▁used ▁to ▁cook ▁food ▁and ▁to ▁make ▁br icks . ▁Pre - d yn astic ▁civil izations ▁in ▁Egypt ▁used ▁kil ns ▁around ▁ 5 0 0 0 – 4 0 0 0 ▁BC ▁to ▁make ▁pot tery . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁instead ▁of ▁earth ▁and ▁cer am ic ▁o vens , ▁Europe ans ▁used ▁fire p laces ▁in ▁conj unction ▁with ▁large ▁ca ul dr ons . ▁These ▁were ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁Dutch ▁o ven . ▁Following ▁the ▁Middle - A ges , ▁o vens ▁under w ent ▁many ▁changes ▁over ▁time ▁from ▁wood , ▁iron , ▁coal , ▁gas , ▁and ▁even ▁electric . ▁Each ▁design ▁had ▁its ▁own ▁motiv ation ▁and ▁purpose . ▁The ▁wood - burn ing ▁st ov es ▁saw ▁improvement ▁through ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁fire ▁ch amb ers ▁that ▁allowed ▁better ▁contain ment ▁and ▁release ▁of ▁smoke . ▁Another ▁recogn izable ▁o ven ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁cast - ir on ▁st ove . ▁These ▁were ▁first ▁used ▁around ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 7 0 0 s ▁when ▁they ▁themselves ▁under w ent ▁several ▁variations ▁including ▁the ▁Stewart ▁Ober lin ▁iron