The Importance of Pottery
Pottery was an important part of life for ancient Egyptians. Potters would make fine wares, coarse wares, bread moulds, dishes, jars, and table wares. Many of these were nile-silt pottery or clay. (Hope 2001, 30-32) Other materials used for making pottery included water for shaping, tools to improve pottery characteristics, and fuel to fire the pottery to make permanent and hard. Water was used from the Nile and fuel was found in straw or dung. Egyptian potters preferred Nile alluvial clay and marl clay. Alluvial clay was found on the Nile’s flood plain. Marl clay could be found near calcareous shales, mudstones, and limestones. (Redford 2001, 251) Creating pottery is a process, but the most important stage of creating pottery is firing in a kiln because …show more content…
The clay cannot be dried because it will shrink so the best way is firing, when the clay turns to a stone-like material. (Redford 2001, 254) Pottery was used for the preparation of food and drink, serving, and storage. If the pottery was going to be used for food, the Egyptians would use surface coating and if it were to be used for beverages, surface compaction was an important technique. Theses ceramics were often leaned against walls or used supports made of pottery or wood. Pottery could be decorated for special occasions or festivities. Farm produce and wine transport relied heavily on pottery. Conical stoppers or mud caps were used as toppers for the wine and food. Jars could also be used for pouring of water to the gods as offering. Pottery could hold shabtis or internal organs of the mummy in tombs. The jars that held the organ of the tomb owner is referred to as canopic jars. (Hope 2001, 30-34, 49-53) In the afterlife, pottery was used for offering for the dead and was an important part of funeral
Pottery was an important part of life for ancient Egyptians. Potters would make fine wares, coarse wares, bread moulds, dishes, jars, and table wares. Many of these were nile-silt pottery or clay. (Hope 2001, 30-32) Other materials used for making pottery included water for shaping, tools to improve pottery characteristics, and fuel to fire the pottery to make permanent and hard. Water was used from the Nile and fuel was found in straw or dung. Egyptian potters preferred Nile alluvial clay and marl clay. Alluvial clay was found on the Nile’s flood plain. Marl clay could be found near calcareous shales, mudstones, and limestones. (Redford 2001, 251) Creating pottery is a process, but the most important stage of creating pottery is firing in a kiln because …show more content…
The clay cannot be dried because it will shrink so the best way is firing, when the clay turns to a stone-like material. (Redford 2001, 254) Pottery was used for the preparation of food and drink, serving, and storage. If the pottery was going to be used for food, the Egyptians would use surface coating and if it were to be used for beverages, surface compaction was an important technique. Theses ceramics were often leaned against walls or used supports made of pottery or wood. Pottery could be decorated for special occasions or festivities. Farm produce and wine transport relied heavily on pottery. Conical stoppers or mud caps were used as toppers for the wine and food. Jars could also be used for pouring of water to the gods as offering. Pottery could hold shabtis or internal organs of the mummy in tombs. The jars that held the organ of the tomb owner is referred to as canopic jars. (Hope 2001, 30-34, 49-53) In the afterlife, pottery was used for offering for the dead and was an important part of funeral