Greek Pottery Research Paper

Greek pottery was a very important part of the history of Greece. It represents their culture, animals, human figures, and birds. Others showed real life events that happened around whomever made that piece of pottery. Making pottery took lots of time, effort, and materials. They had to use all the resources they had around them, in order to make the pots. Clay (keramos) was used to make many different types of vases, jugs, bowls, lamps and jars. This was produced all throughout Greece. However, most people preferred attic clay. Attic clay had a very high iron content which, gave off a vibrant orange-red color. This clay also gave the pottery a slight sheen when fired. Along with clay, black paint was used to decorate the pottery. The black

It took lots of hard work and diligence in order to complete the pot. Greek pottery was typically made on a potter 's wheel. The potter’s wheel made separate horizontal sections; the foot, the lower and upper body, the neck, and if needed, the handles. All the sections were then combined together using a clay ‘slip’, after drying. This also made it easier to see the imprints of designs needed for the pot. Once this was done, the piece of pottery was then put back on the wheel to be smoothed and to join the marks, and add shaping. Once this was completed, the pot was ready to be decorated. Most of the time, parts, or most of the pot would be covered in black paint. The final step came after the decorating. The piece would be placed in a kiln of 960 degrees Fahrenheit. Compared to other types of pottery, this was a relatively low temperature to fire it at. This explains the softness of most Greek pottery. Whatever piece of pottery that was being made, was fired multiple times. The first time firing it would be fired in a oxidising fire with good ventilation in order for the clay to fore. The second time firing would be fired in a kiln deprived of oxygen by adding damp wood or water inside the kiln. This was used to darkened the black of the paint. The last firing would be done in a well ventilated kiln, which reddened the clay and gave it a thin layer of