Pottery in Antiquity

Definition

Pottery is the first synthetic material ever created by humans. The term refers to objects made of clay that have been fashioned into the desired shape, dried, and either fired or baked to fix their form. Due to its abundance and durability, pottery is one of the most common types of items found by archaeologists during excavations, and it has the potential of providing valuable information about the human past.

More about: Pottery in Antiquity

Timeline

  • 29000 BCE - 25000 BCE
    Gravettian figurines including the Venus of Dolní Věstonice.
  • 16000 BCE
    Oldest pottery vessels known found in Japan
  • 14000 BCE
    Pottery production at the Amur River in modern-day Russia.
  • 8000 BCE
    Ovens in use in the Near East are applied to pottery production.
  • 5500 BCE
    Oldest faience workshop in Egypt founded at Abydos.
  • c. 4000 BCE
    Creation at Uruk of first mass-produced bowls.
  • c. 2000 BCE
    Pottery wheel introduced to Minoan civilization on Crete.
  • c. 1000 BCE
    The first distinctive Greek pottery is produced, the Proto-geometric style.
  • c. 900 BCE
    The Geometric style of Greek pottery is first produced.
  • 675 BCE - 626 BCE
    Fine bucchero pottery style in Etruria.
  • 625 BCE - 575 BCE
    Transitional bucchero pottery style in Etruria.
  • c. 625 BCE
    Black-figure pottery created in Corinth.
  • c. 625 BCE - 600 BCE
    The orientalizing style of Greek pottery becomes popular in Corinth.
  • c. 620 BCE - 600 BCE
    Proto-corinthian reaches its zenith in artistic quality producing the best pottery in Greece.
  • 600 BCE - 480 BCE
    Attic black-figure pottery dominates the greek ceramic market.
  • 575 BCE - 480 BCE
    Heavy bucchero pottery style in Etruria.
  • c. 570 BCE - c. 560 BCE
    The black-figure Francois Vase is produced in Attica by Ergotimos (potter) and Kleitias (painter).
  • 560 BCE - 520 BCE
    Chalkidian black-figure pottery is produced in southern Italy.
  • 545 BCE - 530 BCE
    Exekias, perhaps the greatest black-figure pottery painter is active.
  • 530 BCE
    The Andokides Painter invents red-figure pottery.
  • c. 530 BCE
    Red-figure pottery style takes precedent over black-figure.
  • 320 BCE
    Last recorded examples of Attic Red-Figure Pottery.
  • c. 300 CE - c. 700 CE
    Haniwa terracotta figurines are placed outside Japanese mound tombs or kofun.
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