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forward for prehistoric cultures, and until the development of metal cooking
pots, ceramic pottery was the pinnacle of cooking technology. Clay pots are
lighter than soapstone and easier to transport. They also heat up faster than
stone vessels and can be made in much larger sizes than stone vessels (e.g.
big enough to feed a village from one pot). To make your own clay pot, likely
smaller than the village sized pot, the first part of the project involves finding
the clay.
Get Fired Up
If making a clay pot is the first hurdle to jump in this primitive technology –
then firing the pot is the second hurdle. Firing sounds simple enough. You
just have to get the dried clay object over 1112 degrees F to drive off the
chemically bonded water. This is called the “ceramic change” and it’s
irreversible. Once dried “mud” has heated enough to become ceramic, it can
never “melt” like mud in the presence of water again. But of course, it’s not
as simple as that. Follow these steps to have a good shot at a finished ceramic
item, and minimize the chance of making a handful of broken pottery shards.
STEP 1 Let it dry. Your proposed pottery needs to dry for weeks, to
eliminate all but the bonded water from its delicate walls. If there is more
water than that, it will likely turn to steam and that expansion will cause
cracks, breaks or violent explosions. Ironically, you need water to make
pottery, but water will also break it.
STEP 2 Pre-heat gently. Dry pottery can still explode, if you quickly expose
it to thermal shock. Gradually warm it and turn the item near a fire to preheat
it. Don't just a light a pile of sticks over a cold pot. Don't fire on a breezy day,
either. A cool gust of wind can send a cooling shock wave through the
vulnerable pottery and break it. The use of a deep firing pit can help to
control the temperature and minimize shocks.
STEP 3 Fire thoroughly. Once preheated near a fire, encircle the object or
pile of objects with a ring of burning sticks and then push them closer to the
pot SLOWLY, over the span of an hour. Once the pottery is very hot, then
gently place sticks over it and bury it in fire.
STEP 4 Finish easy. Let the pottery cool down completely before moving it
from the ashes of the fire. Inspect it for cracks. If none are visible, flick it
with your fingernail. If it rings like a bell – you did a good job. If it doesn't –
you can still use it, but it may not last as long.
Have you ever made your own clay pot with raw clay from the wild? Tell us
how you did it by leaving a comment.
Reference:
https://www.outdoorlife.com/primitive-ceramics-how-to-make-your-
own-clay-pots/#:~:text=Grind%20your%20dry%20clay%20into,is
%20ready%20to%20form%20pottery.