| Pottery is very important, it is also | | | | fired at higher temperatures, which is |
| type of ceramic material, which the | | | | partially vitrified is called stoneware. |
| American Society for Testing and | | | | Fine earthenware with a white tin glaze |
| Materials (ASTM) has defined as "(a)ll | | | | is known as faience. Porcelain is a very |
| fired ceramic wares that contain clay | | | | refined, smooth, white body that, when |
| when formed, except technical, | | | | fired to vitrification, can have |
| structural, and refractory products." | | | | translucent qualities |
| The term pottery is also used for a | | | | The development of pottery was a |
| technique involving ceramic, where clay | | | | milestone in human history. These |
| is mixed with other minerals and is | | | | durable and watertight containers |
| formed into objects, including vessels | | | | enabled people to boil and steam food |
| generally designed for utilitarian | | | | which allowed them to exploit new |
| purposes. | | | | sources of food such as shellfish, |
| A Pottery is a facility of any size, | | | | acorns, and leafy vegetables. Soft |
| from a modest studio to an | | | | boiled foods could be eaten by toothless |
| industrialized factory, where pottery is | | | | children and the elderly, which |
| made. Where resources are available - | | | | permitted caregivers to spend more time |
| raw materials, workers, transportation - | | | | producing food. In Japan, for instance, |
| groups of potteries may exist. Due to | | | | the introduction of pottery was followed |
| the large number of pottery factories, | | | | by a population explosion. In the |
| or colloquially 'Pot Banks', the City of | | | | archaeology of the Eastern Woodlands of |
| Stoke-on-Trent in England became known | | | | North America the introduction of |
| as The Potteries; one of the first | | | | pottery is referred to as the container |
| industrial cities of the modern era | | | | revolution. |
| where as early as 1785 200 pottery | | | | Since pottery is a durable, man-made |
| manufacturers employed 20,000 workers. | | | | artifact which was utilized by various |
| The Potters is the nickname of the local | | | | cultures around the world, it has proven |
| football club, Stoke City F.C.. The same | | | | to be a boon for archaeologists. Broken |
| name is used for sports teams in the | | | | pottery in archaeological sites, called |
| one-time "Pottery Capital of the World," | | | | sherds or shards, help identify the |
| East Liverpool, Ohio. | | | | resident culture and date the stratum by |
| Pottery production is a process by which | | | | the formation, style and decoration. The |
| a clay body, clay mixed with other | | | | relative chronologies based on pottery |
| minerals, is shaped and allowed to dry. | | | | are essential for dating the remains of |
| The shaped clay body, or piece, ware or | | | | non-literate cultures and help in the |
| article, may be "bisque or biscuit | | | | dating of some historic cultures as |
| fired" in a kiln to induce permanent | | | | well. Trace element analysis, mostly by |
| changes that result in increased | | | | neutron activation, allows the sources |
| mechanical strength, and then fired a | | | | of clay to be accurately identified. |
| second time after adding a glaze or a | | | | While ceramics had been developed in |
| piece may be once fired by applying | | | | Europe also, pottery was first developed |
| appropriate glaze to the dry unfired | | | | by the Jomon in Japan around 10,500 BCE. |
| body and firing in one cycle. | | | | It appears that pottery was then |
| With mass production techniques having | | | | independently developed in North Africa |
| replaced the traditional role studio | | | | during the 10th millennium b.p. and in |
| potters have focused more on the | | | | South America during the 7th millennium |
| aesthetic than the utilitarian | | | | b.p. |
| Traditionally, different regions of the | | | | The invention of the potter's wheel in |
| world have used produced different types | | | | Mesopotamia sometime between 6,000 and |
| of clay, sometimes mixed with other | | | | 2,400 BCE revolutionized pottery |
| minerals, to produce regionally | | | | production. Specialized potters were |
| distinctive pottery. It is common for | | | | then able to meet the burgeoning needs |
| different clays and minerals to be mixed | | | | of the world's first cities. |
| to produce clay bodies suited to | | | | While artistic value of Classical Greek |
| specific purposes. Pottery that is fired | | | | and Roman pottery largely consisted of |
| at temperatures in the 800 to 1200 | | | | the surface decoration, the pottery |
| °C range, which does not vitrify | | | | itself was an important art form in |
| in the kiln but remains slightly porous | | | | China, where efficient kilns allowed |
| is often called earthenware or terra | | | | high temperature ware to be fired with |
| cotta. Clay bodies formulated to be | | | | wood, long before the use of coal. |