Making ancient clay pottery in Tennessee

[Tnmountains]

We started with a bucket of clay off a non navigable water way where we found pottery sherds. Got 5 gallons of it and about 2 gallons of little mussels shells to mix in with it.
Got out some ancient mortars and pestles and ground up the shell.



We went from examples that Keberg and Lewis studies in Tennessee. We looked at the styles made and weaving and incising patterns.


There was 4 of us and we mixed the clay and shell together and added water and dumped it on a tarp and started trying to make some vessels and items. We found the coil method worked best then smooth them down with Popsicle sticks and drops of water. We wrapped a hemp cord on spoons and tried paddling it. Many items would fail. We incised some with sticks and rolled a dry corn cob on others to crate a pattern. Not the best in the world but here is what the looked like.



Here us a rough attempt at a pipe with a corn cob in the bowl and a stick in for the stem.



Let the pottery dry and took brush left over from the storms and made a little fire pit. Put the pottery in it and covered it with coals. Left it all night adding coals and keeping it red hot.





This is what we made. I can see that it took skill. I did not have that but they did ok. Our imaginations took over and we did not follow the designs perfectly but we had fun.It seems some people are more creative than others when it comes to pottery. I am sure this was true with ancient peoples. So here is new ancient pottery made the ancient way with what was available to them.Hope you enjoyed and Happy Hunting !

 

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[GatorBoy]

Totally Impressed!!!!!!!
That's just freakin awesome! I am going to do that some day soon. I will post when I'm done with them.

 

[mamabear]

good idea. I like what you've done.

 

[rock]

Looks like you had a lot of fun. That one little bowl came out nice. I like that mortar and mano

 

[catherine1]

Very similar to the pottery artifact shards I have found. Great job!!!

 

[GatorBoy]

Looks like you had a lot of fun. That one little bowl came out nice. I like that mortar and mano

Mortor and Mao,mono-e-mono,mano matate, motrtar and pestle.... the man made a pottery vessel.

 

[rock]

Mortor and Mao,mono-e-mono,mano matate, motrtar and pestle.... the man made a pottery vessel.

Thats it you are going to go sit in the corner!

 

[GatorBoy]

LMAO

 

[GaRebel1861]

That's looks like that was a lot of fun.

 

[jamey]

great,now we are going to have to deal with fake pottery now too.thanks tn..

just kidding.does look like fun

 

[Tnmountains]

Thanks everyone. I think it is a project that anyone could do. If I was do it again I would use crushed limestone instead of shell to temper it. Coil method works best. I can imagine them forming a pit to do large vessels to support them. It was fun and all local material. Nothing fancy or any chance of it getting by an expert

 

[Tnmountains]

great,now we are going to have to deal with fake pottery now too.thanks tn..

just kidding.does look like fun

Hhaha yeah thanks none of that would pass the test. I think what was interesting was the burn marks from firing. I see that on my real pots and thought it was burn marks from use. I am thinking it was from firing now. Maybe both. I need to cook something in one.

 

[GatorBoy]

Those marks..... I've heard referred to as "cloud marks" by local archaeologists. From fireing just as you did.

 

[Tnmountains]

Those marks..... I've heard referred to as "cloud marks" by local archaeologists. From fireing just as you did.

Not heard that. I like it. I am going to try and boil some water in one. They sat out in freezing weather and did ok. The one split when it dried but fires it anyhow. The stuff I made is crude and thick.

 

[kuger]

Never seen that done BRAVO!!!I have a piece I need to ask you about....if I can find it.......

 

[jamey]

hey tn,
your post makes me wonder where a good spot would be if you built a fire on the ground,then you noticed the ground had hardened,bet you could find some old pottery there.

 

[GatorBoy]

I was wondering how long you let them sit out to dry before you started firing.

 

[Tnmountains]

Gator they sat out in my storage shed all summer. I had forgotten about them and was getting some stuff and saw them and was like oh yeah I need to fire them lol. So I did. In your sunny area a couple days ought to do it.

 

[GatorBoy]

Its humid though..thanks. the more moisture left in them the slower and lower temp they need to start out. Putting them right in the coals like you did would have cracked all of them if they were still a little moist. Thanks again for the show.. I'm collecting some clay tomorrow.

 

[Tnmountains]

I know I would do many things different now. Be sure to post. Yeah just dry them slow. The big bowl cracked I wonder if I could clay patch and fire it again?