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