The potter’s wheel was invented in Mesopotamia some time between 6,000 and 4,000 BCE and really revolutionized pottery production. It made it so that pottery supplies could be fired up on a kiln, and anyone could make pottery, as long as they had a pottery kiln and pottery supplies.
Pottery is made by forming a clay body into objects of a required shape, then heating them to high temperature sin a kiln which removes all the water from the clay. This increases their strength, hardens them, then sets their shape. In all cases, the object of firing is to permanently harden the wares, and the firing regime must be appropriate to the materials used to make them.
Pottery has become diverse since its invention, as there are a variety of ceramic supplies and pottery glazes and other things that go into making pottery. For instance, glazed stoneware was invented, possibly as early as the 15th century BCE in China. This actually coincided with kilns that could be fired at higher temperatures.
Pretty much anyone can make pottery as long as they have a kiln and pottery supplies. If you want to learn more about pottery, there could be pottery classes offered in your city, or you could go online and read up on all the information available about pottery. It’s never too late to get into pottery, and it can be very rewarding.
