| The Egyptians created pottery beginning from | | | | wheel. The wheel was at first turned by hand, |
| primordial times. Even before the | | | | and later the kick wheel variety developed |
| construction of pyramids, they were engaged | | | | during the Ptolemaic epoch. At this time, |
| in the making of pottery. The study of | | | | there was an increase in the quantity of |
| pottery sheds tremendous light on the pre | | | | pottery produced. However the introduction of |
| dynastic era of ancient Egypt. Ancient | | | | the potter's wheel did not wipe out |
| Egyptians used pottery in the same manner we | | | | absolutely all the traditional forms of |
| use plastic containers today. The studies of | | | | making pottery. For example, bread moulds |
| pottery material, expertise, and types have | | | | were still often handmade |
| been a great supply of information for | | | | |
| archaeologists to date sites in the absence | | | | Egyptian pottery can be classified into two |
| of other sources of data. Early Egyptologists | | | | broad divisions depending upon the type of |
| like Flinders Petrie used pot shards to | | | | clay used in the manufacturing. It is an |
| discover chronological dates for pre dynastic | | | | international classification system known as |
| eras. Pottery is also used to assist the | | | | The Vienna System. |
| study of trade and regional development in | | | | |
| old Egypt. | | | | 1. Pottery manufactured from Nile clay. It is |
| | | | also known as Nile silt ware. When it is |
| Egypt in the pre dynastic period produced | | | | fired it gets covered up with a red-brown |
| pottery of very high quality. During the | | | | color. Sometimes the pottery was decorated or |
| Badarian period the potter's wheel was not | | | | painted in blue. It was mostly used for |
| used and typically ladies prepared it. The | | | | common everyday purposes. It was not used for |
| upper segment was adorned in a radiant black | | | | decoration although during the New Kingdom, |
| color and the lower segment in deep red. The | | | | blue painted pottery appeared. |
| pottery was made by firing in open bone fires | | | | |
| or archaic furnaces. From 40000 to 3000 BC. | | | | 2. Pottery made from marl clay. It was made |
| i.e. until the Dynastic era from the Naqada | | | | from material found in the region of Quena in |
| era, pottery was decorated with depictions of | | | | Upper Egypt. This pottery was superior to the |
| animals, humans, boats and various other | | | | Nile silt ware. It was sometimes polished |
| patterns and symbols. It was during this | | | | leaving a lustrous surface. It was used for |
| period, that perhaps some of the greatest | | | | decorative purposes as well as for other |
| pottery was developed. | | | | functions. However, the actual glazed pottery |
| | | | appeared only during roman times. |
| The potter's wheel was not invented in Egypt | | | | |
| until the Old Kingdom. It was only during | | | | One can further make a classification of |
| this era that the potter's wheel made its | | | | Egyptian pottery with the examination of |
| first appearance and started to be used for | | | | additives in the basic fabric of the pottery, |
| commercial purposes. The wheel was very | | | | as well as an analysis of the natural |
| simple, like a turn table in the beginning, | | | | impurities present in the clay. |
| but latter it advanced into a true potter's | | | | |