Archaeology Lab

Pottery Making Exercise

Welcome to the pottery-making section of the class!

1) Listen to the introductory part of the class. What type of temper would you like to add? Why? What type of construction would you like to use? Why?

2) Take the clay out of the plastic bag. If it is too stiff to work, put it in the plastic tub, add a little water, and knead or “wedge” the clay until it is workable. If it is too soft, work it in the open air on the tarp or on the denim until it is a stiff enough texture. Now, weigh your clay. How much does it weigh? Add a measured amount of the temper of your choice to the clay. How much temper did you add? What is the wt% of temper in your clay? Why did you add the amount you did? Work the clay and temper together until the clay is evenly tempered throughout. This could take a while.

3) Build a pottery vessel using whatever technique you like, into whatever shape or size you like. Did your first construction method work? How many attempts did it take to get it the shape and size you wanted?

4) Decorate the pot. You can do this right after building the vessel, as part of the building process, or wait for the pot to dry a little and become more stable. Which did you choose? Why?

5) How would you like to fire your pot? For how long? At what temperature? Why? To get the answer to this question, you’ll have to research this on the web or in the copy of Pottery Analysis in the lab.