Clay Pottery

M

milani74

Joined
Feb 15, 2009
Messages
1,237
I've been thinking lately about how our ancestors did this. I look at most of the early or primitive people around the world and most have used clay pots in order to cook in, gather and purify water, and make other instruments. Does anyone know if this is feasible in a "I am lost in the woods" scenario? If so, how much does location and soil makeup have to do with your success? Obviously if the soil was frozen it would be near impossible. I'm talking about the amount of clay in the ground. Also, how hard is it to get a usable pot to say boil water in?

If anyone has done this, I'd love to see a "how too" pictures tutorial.
 
That is a great video! Looks like a nice project once the ground thaws out.
 
milani74 said:
Does anyone know if this is feasible in a "I am lost in the woods" scenario?
Click to expand...

If you had the know-how I think it would be, which means practice beforehand. I don't have the know how :o, so I would probably try to carve or burn a wooden container (which could then be used to cook using hot stones) before I tried to make a pot.
 
My thinking is that carving/burning a bowl or cup would be quicker, but would net you a much smaller quantity of water per boil. You could also use the pot for other things too, or even make a clay shelter. Another plus would be that you wouldn't need a cutting tool.
It just strikes me as odd that more bushcraft skills don't involve clay. Making clay tiles would make an excellent roof material. The down side is it time and energy consuming. That and finding actual clay to use. I really wouldnt know where to look to harvest here in the PNW.
 
Another problem if you're to use it for boiling and cooking - the pottery has to be fired. Not such an easy task in a survival situation. Hell, it's not that easy in a non-survival one if you're firing it with primitive means.

IMHO, the effort would be much better expended making bowls and cups from wood or bark, etc.

My thinking is that carving/burning a bowl or cup would be quicker, but would net you a much smaller quantity of water per boil.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I agree, considering that early peoples made maple syrup by boiling sap with hot rocks in a hollowed out log, vaguely resembling a dugout canoe.

Doc
 
I take a ceramics class at my school, but its on the spun wheel(not as easy as it looks). Which is not really how i see my ancestors making pottery. Just watched that video, and this guy really knows what he's doing. Sorry I don't have any advice on your question though, Milani. lol, I have a teacher named milani. just thought id share that useless information.
 
There is a lot of blue clay around here. Looks like good stuff. Bet it would make some great pots.
 
Yep, you can certainly make your own pottery in the wild, especially if you're near a riverbank with suitable clay deposits. I've done it a couple times (back yard as a kid... my mom's an actual potter, and we used to experiment with all sorts of primitive firing techniques).
 
I always wanted to try natural pottery, my goal for this year though is basket and container making from natural materials.
having carved oout logs to boil water using the hot rock method a few times now.. It is time and calorie intensive.. and a hatchet or hawk makes all the difference.
 
Lots of usable clay, easily harvested up in Cecil Co, MD. When I'm up there in the spring, I'll have to try out a little pinch pot. I'll have to check out the youtube video on my home computer.
 
I think in most places you would be able to find a container easier than building one from wood or clay. How many times have you been out in the woods, especially near a river and not found at least 1 can.

If you live in SC and have access to all that red clay, it would not be hard. We used to make stuff and 'fire' it on the blacktop in the summer. It will stain everything though...
 
Paperairplane makes a decent point FOundimplements can make life much easier for the "Survivor" but speaking soley from a bushcraft or "skills" point of view.. Container making is a feather in the cap of any outdoorsman but it is a longterm living skill rather than an immeidate survival skill... I would love to learn it specifically for the sake of learning it.
 
A "low-heat" bisque firing to make a clay pot that wouldn't crack under heat or from simply having too much moisture would be between cone 08 and cone 04 which is about 1700-1900 degrees fahrenheit. To fire it at that temperature it would start from warming with an increase in temperature of 27 degrees per/hr. This is with standard pottery clay, so I could only imagine that you would have to mess around with the temperature with "survival" clay.

Either way, non-bisque fired clay would not stand up to boiling water let alone roofing, as it would absorb moisture and soon crack under its own weight.

You also cannot bisque fire "damp" clay, it must be bone dry before before it is even fired. Which may prove a problem in many environments and survival situations.

In long term survival, it is feasible to construct a makeshift kiln and have much more control over your firing that way. In short term, your better off making a bowl out of wood.
 
Thanks for all of the replies and insight guys. I find it remarkable that my ancestors can still do many things that I can't.
 
RescueRiley said:
I always wanted to try natural pottery, my goal for this year though is basket and container making from natural materials.
having carved oout logs to boil water using the hot rock method a few times now.. It is time and calorie intensive.. and a hatchet or hawk makes all the difference.
Click to expand...

Hey RR,

If you want to start making baskets from natural materials, may I suggest Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea). It is usually readily available and works very well green.

Range map.


Gather material, early in the spring, before it starts to leaf out. Once made, and after it dries out, some shrinkage will occur loosening up your basket. This can be corrected by adding in a couple rows of waling.

Some examples of Red Osier baskets, using green material.


Doc
 
Early societies, such as the Anglo-Saxons in England, made pottery on a domestic scale. The clay was fired by quite primitive means and at a low temperature by modern standards. Primitive pottery was often tempered with grass or other organic material which aparently prevents cracking and improves firing. Sometimes chalk or sand were used for tempering.

The fabric of Anglo-Saxon pottery tends to be inferior, usually being in a degraded or crumbling state when excavated. Roman pottery, made on an industrial scale, often comes out of the ground looking like it was made last week and dropped yesterday. However, in a wilderness situation, I don't think you would be too worried about your cooking bowl lasting 1000 years or more :)

I had a look online for more info and came across these descriptions of Native American Indian methods of pottery manufacture. Well worth a look and a bit of experimenting in the yard!
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...epage&q=making grass tempered pottery&f=false

There is an interesting and very informative thread at bushcraft uk too :)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top