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History^367

Prehistoric Pottery

The earliest pottery was made by Japanese fishing

communities, in c. 10,500 BCE. When they cooked, people

noticed that the clay soil underneath their fires baked

and became hard. They soon began to shape clay into

pots, cook them on bonfires, and leave them to cool.

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WHY WERE THE FIRST POTS SO IMPORTANT?

Unlike earlier containers – made from leather, woven

twigs, bark, and string – clay pots were heatproof and

waterproof. They made it possible to cook soups and

stews, brew drinks such as wine and beer, and store

grain and oil for long periods. The remains of pots

help archaeologists to identify different peoples.

BURIAL URN 1

Pottery was often used in

religious rituals. This Banshan

type burial urn, from China’s

Yangshao culture, was made in

around 2500 BCE.

First Metalworkers

From around 9000 BCE, people in different lands began

to work with nuggets of soft metals, such as copper.

Later, they discovered how to extract metals, such as tin,

from rocks by smelting (heating). Finally,

they discovered how to melt metals

together to make new materials

called alloys, such as bronze.

WHO MADE THE FIRST BRONZE OBJECTS?

The technique of making bronze objects – by pouring

molten (melted) metal into moulds – was invented

in western Asia in around 3500 BCE. It was also

discovered, separately, in China in around 2000 BCE.

The Chinese bronze-makers developed their skills

to create much more elaborate patterns and designs.

WHAT WAS BRONZE USED FOR?

Bronze is a mixture of copper and tin.

It is much harder than either metal, and

can be sharpened to make a cutting edge.

It was used to create more powerful and

long-lasting weapons, tools, and farm

implements. Craftworkers also used it to

make intricate castings – objects made

by pouring melted bronze into a mould.

RITUAL VESSEL 3

This bronze vessel was

made while the Shang

dynasty ruled China

(1650-1027 BCE). It was used

for cooking ritual meals in

honour of the spirits

of dead ancestors.

HOW WAS BRONZE FIRST MADE?

Bronze-workers heated copper and tin

in a furnace fuelled by charcoal. When

the two metals melted they combined to

form liquid-hot bronze, which ran down

a clay pipe into containers made of clay

or sand. When cold, these ingots (solid

blocks of metal) were re-melted and

poured into different-shaped moulds.

1 BRONZE ARCHER
This bronze statue was made
in around 600 BCE on the
Mediterranean island of Sardinia.
Bronze was also used to make
sharp arrowheads, spear-tips, and
sword blades.

Face perhaps

represents revered

ancestors

Handle at either

end made vessel

easier to carry

1 JAPANESE POTTERY JAR
This rope-patterned pot was
made between 10,500 BCE and
7500 BCE. A craftworker shaped
it by hand using coils of clay.

Leg shape

possibly

derived from

that of

an animal

Paintwork

helps place and

date the urn

9000 BCE Hammered

copper,

central Asia

5000 BCE Gold/copper,

Europe

3500 BCE Bronze,

Middle East

2300 BCE Bronze, Europe

1500 BCE Iron,

western Asia

1000 BCE Iron, Europe

SOME OF THE FIRST

METALWORKERS

d

prehistoric

pottery

first

metalworkers