/ 2 0 7 ▁B CE ), ▁and ▁a ▁similar ▁design ▁known ▁as ▁kam ado ▁( か ま ど ) ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁K of un ▁period ▁( 3 rd – 6 th ▁century ) ▁in ▁Japan . ▁These ▁st ov es ▁were ▁fired ▁by ▁wood ▁or ▁ ▁char co al ▁through ▁a ▁hole ▁in ▁the ▁front . ▁In ▁both ▁designs , ▁p ots ▁were ▁placed ▁over ▁or ▁hung ▁into ▁holes ▁at ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁kne e - high ▁construction . ▁In ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁references ▁to ▁similar ▁st ov es ▁and ▁cook ing ▁ranges ▁where ▁the ▁fire ▁was ▁lit ▁from ▁below ▁are ▁recorded ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 2 nd - century ▁CE , ▁constructed ▁of ▁cl ay ▁and ▁either ▁made ▁port able ▁or ▁attached ▁to ▁the ▁ground . ▁R ais ed ▁kam ados ▁were ▁developed ▁in ▁Japan ▁during ▁the ▁E do ▁period ▁( 1 6 0 3 – 1 8 6 7 ). ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁in ▁Europe , ▁people ▁cook ed ▁over ▁open ▁fires ▁fue led ▁by ▁wood . ▁In ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁wa ist - high ▁brick - and - mort ar ▁hear th s ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁chim ne ys ▁appeared , ▁so ▁that ▁cook s ▁no ▁longer ▁had ▁to ▁kne el ▁or ▁sit ▁to ▁tend ▁to ▁food s ▁on ▁the ▁fire . ▁The ▁fire ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁construction ; ▁the ▁cook ing ▁done ▁mainly ▁in ▁ca ul dr ons ▁hung ▁above ▁the ▁fire ▁or