Neolithic Pottery Essay

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NEOLITHIC POTTERY Neolithic bowls and pots were made from coarse clay that was often found near a local riverbank. This clay was also often tempered with other materials to give it the attributes that were wanted for that particular vessel. Although many civilizations started using pottery at around the same time, the style of pottery varied from place to place. This was due to the geological features of the land and therefore affecting the clay. Before the Neolithic Revolution people stored their food in wooden bowls and baskets so the development of moulding clay and cooking it in an open fire was an important one. Larger pots were also used for transporting and drinking water. The early Neolithic (4200-3500 BCE) bowls and pots were very basic and had round bases and simple decoration of small lines and dots. The early Neolithic bowls and pots were also mixed with burnt fragments of flint, helping the water to exit the clay and therefore a higher chance of a successful firing. By the middle Neolithic (3500-3000), the bowls and pots became more elaborately decorated although the methods did not change dramatically. By the late Neolithic (3000-2000) pots and bowls became more advanced and the idea of a flat bottom was initiated. The decorations again became more detailed and is said that the patterns developed an artistic touch. They also started mixing the clay with the crushed remains of other pots which made for a smoother surface. These remains were called ‘grog’. Pottery itself has helped to classify many periods and phases of time, making it a very valuable source of information. Pottery has been a very significant study point and history would not be what it is today with out this incredible development from the Neolithic period. Burnt Fragments of Flint Burnt Fragments of Flint Early Neolithic Pottery Segments Early Neolithic Pottery Segments Flat

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