It is very fine and smooth. All these clays need to be fired at high temperatures. Early pottery was heated in the sun or by a fire. Later, potters developed heated devices called kilns to control the necessary firing conditions.
STEVE EMBER: The development of ceramics has had an important effect on human history. Ceramic objects permitted early cultures to make containers that could hold water. This means they could cook foods like vegetables and meats. Improving food production methods meant larger populations could survive. Pottery is an art form that grew out of the daily needs of life.
Ceramics are also important for historians and archeologists. Pieces of ceramics found at archeological areas help tell about ancient cultures. These pieces can last for tens of thousands of years. They help answer questions about cultures we know little about.
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BARBARA KLEIN: There are many different ways to form clay. The earliest methods involved shaping it by hand. People form containers by pressing a ball of clay into a given shape.
Or, they place long thin rolls of clay on top of each other and then make them smooth. Another method is called slab-construction. A ceramist creates several flat pieces of clay that can be joined together to make the sides of the container.
Later, ceramists developed the method of "throwing" clay on a wheel. A ball of clay is placed on a flat wheel device that turns quickly. The potter holds the clay firmly and guides it while the wheel and clay turn. Using different amounts of upward pressure the potter can build up the sides of a container. This method permits a potter to make similar pieces quickly. But it takes a great deal of skill to become an expert at wheel throwing.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25