A Palestinian pottery maker shapes the clay at a workshop in Gaza City. Photo courtesy: AFP.
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Historical Find at Falling Creek Iron Works
A man searching for Indian artifacts at Falling Creek Iron Works finds something much bigger. Ralph Lovern wanted to find arrowheads or pieces of pottery, but instead he noticed something different.
It was the Iron Works the historical spot he was standing on was named after and he immediately recognized what it was and place a call to the Virginia Historical Society. Archeologist Lyle Browning says it's an incredible find and adds, "The heavy industry in America began on this spot, so it's an enormous find as far as the history of technology goes."
Browning says the timbers haven't been seen since 1622 and were preserved underground since that time. He says the Iron Works was only up and running for about four months until the team of workers was wiped out in the Powhatan Uprising. Historians always knew something was there, but had never uncovered it.
Browning says, "We did a geophysical survey in 200 that showed a massive magnetic anomaly that was consistent with an iron works or with a blast furnace." That means Lovern, who is a history buff, is now a part of history himself. He says, "makes me proud a little bit, something to tell the grandkids, huh?"
The team of archaeologist say they will draw and photograph the timbers, then take them to a museum for preservation.
Earthenware, Pottery Care and Cleaning
Care
Earthenware or pottery is made from baked clay, but does not have as smooth and glassy a surface as china.
It conducts heat slowly and evenly, and holds heat well.
Glazes may be damaged by sudden temperature changes. It can be damaged by abrasives, and cracked or broken by hard blows.
Cleaning
Modern commercial dinnerware, with the glaze applied over the decorations, can be washed in the dishwasher.
For hand made pottery, check with the maker to find out if it can be washed in the dishwasher. Never use scouring powders or harsh scourers as they will damage the glaze; if food does not come off after a brief soak, a plastic mesh pad may be used. Remove tea stains in cups with a solution of 2 tablespoons chlorine bleach per quart of water; soak 1-2 minutes; rinse promptly.
The Origins of the Potter's Wheel
The potter's wheel, also known as the potter's lathe, is a machine used in the shaping of round ceramic wares. However the name potter's lathe is also used for the machine used for another shaping process, turning, which is similar to that used for the shaping of metal and wood articles. The wheel may also be used during the process of trimming excess body from dried wares and for applying incised decoration or rings of colour.The techniques of jiggering & jolleying can be seen to be an extension of the Potters wheel: in jiggering a shaped tool is slowly brought down onto plastic clay body that has been placed on top of a rotating plaster mould. The jigger tool shapes one face whilst the mould the other. The term is specific to shaping of flatware, plates, whilst a similar technique, jolleying, refers to the production of holloware like cups.
Pottery - The Basics
Easier - Pottery are objects that are first shaped of wet clay, then hardened by baking. Pottery includes both decorative and practical items such as bowls, vases, dishes, and lamps.
Harder - Pottery is a decorative or useful ware made of baked clay. Pottery includes valuable works of art, inexpensive dinnerware, vases, and other simple household items, all made by professional potters. The word pottery also refers to the factory that makes pottery. Pottery ware is part of a larger product group called ceramics that encompasses bricks, cement, sewer pipes, and other industrial products. Four steps are needed to make a pottery product: preparing the clay mixture, shaping the clay, decorating and glazing the item, and firing (baking). The firing temperature gives pottery its finished appearance and its strength.
Harder - Pottery is a decorative or useful ware made of baked clay. Pottery includes valuable works of art, inexpensive dinnerware, vases, and other simple household items, all made by professional potters. The word pottery also refers to the factory that makes pottery. Pottery ware is part of a larger product group called ceramics that encompasses bricks, cement, sewer pipes, and other industrial products. Four steps are needed to make a pottery product: preparing the clay mixture, shaping the clay, decorating and glazing the item, and firing (baking). The firing temperature gives pottery its finished appearance and its strength.
There are three major pottery types: (1) earthenware, (2) stoneware, and (3) porcelain. Each type is distinguished by its clay mixture and the temperature at which it is baked or fired. Earthenware is a pottery clay mixture that is fired at a lower temperature. The low baking temperature allows the use of colorful glazes, but also yields a pottery that cracks and chips more easily than other types. Stoneware pottery is made of a heavier clay mixture that gives it greater strength. Stoneware is fired at a much higher temperature to give a harder finish. Porcelain is the purest and the most delicate type of pottery. It is formed from koalin, a fine white clay, that is mixed with controlled amounts of feldspar and flint and then fired at a low temperature.
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