Ceramics

What is ceramic?

An inorganic, nonmetallic solid formed by heating and cooling.

What is pottery?

Pots, dishes, and other vessels made from earthenware or baked clay.

Where is the oldest known pottery from?

Southern China, dating to 20,000 years BP.

When was the second earliest pottery created?

About 12,500 BP in Japan.

Who occupied Jomon period sites?

Semi-sedentary hunter-gatherers.

What did Jomon period vessels prepare?

Shellfish and other collected foods.

Where did the origins of ceramic technology date back to?

Dolne Vestonice, Czech Republic, about 26,000 BP.

How can the chemical composition of ceramics be determined?

Through electron microprobe analysis.

What type of sediments were found in the ceramics?

Loess-glacial sediments/aloelian sediments.

How were ceramics manufactured according to the findings?

By hand when the loess was very wet, not carved to shape.

What evidence suggests the presence of kilns?

Abundance of little fragments of ceramics and fracture patterns indicating thermal shock.

What context was suggested for the use of kilns?

A ritualistic context.