Traditional Knowledge & Techniques Overview

“Some of the oldest messages left by man of his existence on this earth are the writings he left on cave walls and the shards of the ceramic tools he used in everyday life. It would seem that the knowledge of making things out of hardened clay was not confined to any one continent or area of our world but is fairly well known to every race and culture that ever existed.”

~Don Francois Roban

Objects made from any type of clay that is fired

with the aid of heat

Dates back to when mankind first learned to control fire

Anthropologists use Stone Age clues to piece together a variety of possible theories.

Clay modeling used as a diversionClay animals and human images formed to

embellish a story or religious ritualWet figurines tossed into communal fire

causing rapid expansion of trapped water resulting in small explosions. (Entertainment or Magic?)

Dry figurines survive the fire, the heat transforming the “mud” into stone

These almost life-size Paleolithic bison, discovered in the caves of French Pyrenees, are one of the earliest surviving examples of unfired clay figures. They tell the story of a time when survival depended on the ability to hunt and capture large animals for food and warmth. They probably represent a form of sympathetic magic of which their creation ensured a successful hunt or symbolically replaced the animal that would be hunted.

Prehistoric world view based on the idea that one can influence something based on its relationship to another thing

Use of effigies to affect the environment of people, or people themselves.

Sometimes performed by shamanThe cave paintings of Lascaux, France may

depict a “magical” acting out of a hunt before it began, thus securing a successful hunt.

This Neolithic seated female clay figure was probably made for religious purposes. Found in a granary at an early agricultural community site at Catal Huyuk, Turkey, its purpose was probably to ensure a good harvest through sympathetic magic. The exaggerated female attributes probably symbolize fertility.

Nomadic and Early agricultural societies use clay to line and seal storage baskets.

Unusable baskets were discarded in the fireBasket material burned away revealing clay forms

hardened by the fire.Clay used to make cooking and storage vessels

instead of basketry. Increased quality of clay vessels directly

influenced the development of a culture from nomadic to agrarian because of the ability to store grain against future crop failure and to trade surplus with other communities.

Southwestern Native American Pottery developed from basketry as seen in this drawing of a traditional roasting tray. Used as a sealant, clay was mixed with sand to prevent contraction before it was pressed into a tightly woven basket and used over hot rocks to roast seeds. After continuous heating, the clay would eventually harden and separate from the basket becoming a perfect roasting vessel on its own. From this, Native American women developed coil building methods similar to those used in basketry.

These large jars were part of an underground storage chamber in Greece’s Crete Palace of Knossos dating from about 1600 BCE. Some storage jars as tall as six feet high have been excavated. The large indent at the top was for tying draped cloth over the jar’s mouth. The large clay loops on the side were used to tie the jars together for stability during transport. Notice how the surface mimics rope-like designs. These large vessels were created using coiling methods. Crushed brick was added to the clay to aid in firing the large, thick-walled vessels. Other early cultures may have also used slabs and molds to create similar large-scale storage vessels and granary bins.

Cuniform Script Early system of writing in

Mesopotamia Stylus pressed into clay

tablets Record-keeping of laws,

historical events, & harvests

Clinder Seals Form of signature, or

identification on important documents

Hunting Scene 2250-2150 BCE, Mesopotamia

Pots were widely used as funerary objects in prehistoric burial grounds

Contained food to accompany dead on journey to the afterlife

Infants and small children Ceramic figurines and

animals to protect the deceased.

Knowing where to dig the best clay Deciding which type of clay is best suited to a particular use Transporting clay Removing impurities Blending in other materials to strengthen or improve clay Forming the desired shape Adding design elements Drying the work Firing the work Glazing Developing systems of distribution for ceramics

ALL INFORMATION AND SKILLS IMPROVED OVER TIME AND PASSED FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION OR COPIED FROM OTHER CULTURES! =TRADITION=CRAFT

1. Dug from the earth2. Dried in the sun and crushed to pick out impurities

(pebbles, plant matter)3. Re-hydrated, or slaked down in water to increase

plasticity4. Used hands or feet to knead stabilizing material into

the clay (sand, tiny bits of straw, crushed pottery or brick)

5. Allowed to age for weeks or years to improve the plasticity

6. Wedged to rid air pockets and to ensure even distribution of moisture and additives

The earliest and simplest methods are still used today:

Hand-built: Pinching, coiling, slab building, extrudingWheel ThrownMolding

Clay shrinks as it driesNot all clays shrink at the same rate Must consider variables such as type of clay,

thickness of walls, local climateClay looses plasticity as it driesMust consider plasticity and stability of clay

when building large projects

A natural extension of individual creativity to enhance the clay’s beauty, to tell a story, or to communicate religious beliefs.

Incising: carving or cutting the surface with a sharp toolImpressing: uses an object to press or stamp a design into the clayCombing: marks the surface of the clay with uniform linesBurnishing: rubbing and polishing the surface with a smooth stone or piece of hard wood, makes porous clay waterproof.Slip trailing: squeezing lines of slip decoration onto the clay’s surfacePainting and Glazing the surface

Open firing: vessels and fuel are set togetherOpen cooking firesPit firing: fuels vary (sawdust firing, etc.)

Kiln firing: chamber separates vessels & fuelsUpdraft Reduction Kiln (gas and wood kilns)Downdraft Reduction Kiln (gas and wood kilns)Electric Oxidation Kiln