Pottery in the Philippines
POTTERY IN THE PHILIPPINES
Arazas, Andrea Pauline R.
B.S. Materials Engineering, Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Arkioloji 1 THX 2:30-4:00
I. INTRODUCTION
Pottery is defined as the art or craft of a potter to manufacture material from which pottery ware is made. It can be made from earthenware, porcelain or stoneware. According to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), pottery is defined as all fired ceramic wares that contain clay materials.
Pottery uses clay and may sometimes be mixed with other materials to form the clay body. Clay bodies differ in physical stages during the making of pottery. Earthenware, an example, is made of clay produced in a swampy area or in open fields near riverbanks.
The process of pottery involves forming or shaping a clay body into your desired shape. It is then heated to high temperatures in a kiln that removes excess water thereby hardening the clay and setting it to a permanent shape. For aesthetic purposes, the clay body may be decorated before or after the firing process. Kneading the clay body is an important step prior to shaping the clay. It ensures an even distribution of moisture content and removes the air bubbles trapped within the clay body.
Pottery is found in almost all archaeological sites. In fact, pottery has provided archaeologists with information about the past, mainly about trade and technology.
II. SCOPE AND LIMITATION
The focus of this paper will be pottery and its evolution through time. The paper will be limited to Philippine pottery only.
III. EMERGENCE OF THE FIRST POTTERY The emergence of pottery in the Philippines indicates the complexity of cultural development during the Neolithic Period. Like the rest of the early people in other parts of the world, the early man and woman in the Philippines were also highly dependent on nature. Nature provided them with the basic necessities needed for survival. In earlier times, vessels such as leaves
Arazas, Andrea Pauline R.
B.S. Materials Engineering, Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Arkioloji 1 THX 2:30-4:00
I. INTRODUCTION
Pottery is defined as the art or craft of a potter to manufacture material from which pottery ware is made. It can be made from earthenware, porcelain or stoneware. According to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), pottery is defined as all fired ceramic wares that contain clay materials.
Pottery uses clay and may sometimes be mixed with other materials to form the clay body. Clay bodies differ in physical stages during the making of pottery. Earthenware, an example, is made of clay produced in a swampy area or in open fields near riverbanks.
The process of pottery involves forming or shaping a clay body into your desired shape. It is then heated to high temperatures in a kiln that removes excess water thereby hardening the clay and setting it to a permanent shape. For aesthetic purposes, the clay body may be decorated before or after the firing process. Kneading the clay body is an important step prior to shaping the clay. It ensures an even distribution of moisture content and removes the air bubbles trapped within the clay body.
Pottery is found in almost all archaeological sites. In fact, pottery has provided archaeologists with information about the past, mainly about trade and technology.
II. SCOPE AND LIMITATION
The focus of this paper will be pottery and its evolution through time. The paper will be limited to Philippine pottery only.
III. EMERGENCE OF THE FIRST POTTERY The emergence of pottery in the Philippines indicates the complexity of cultural development during the Neolithic Period. Like the rest of the early people in other parts of the world, the early man and woman in the Philippines were also highly dependent on nature. Nature provided them with the basic necessities needed for survival. In earlier times, vessels such as leaves
References: Fox, Robert B., “The Calatagan Excavations: two 15th Century Burial Sites in Batangas, Philippines”, Philippine Studies, Vol. 7, Manila, Philippines; 1959 Valdes, Cynthia O.,“Pang-alay: Ritual Pottery in Ancient Philippines”, Makati City; 2003 Orton, Clive; Tyers, Paul and Vince, Alan, Pottery inArchaeology, Cambridge manuals in Archaeology; 1993 Ronquillo, Wilfredo P., Philippine Earthenware Pottery: An Overview “Pottery dating back to the Metal Age found in Cebu town”, Cebu Daily News; 05April2011 Callister, William D. and Rethwisch, David G., Materials Science and Engineering, 8th Edition, John Wiley & Sons; 2011 Eusebio Zamora Dizon, "An Iron Age in the Philippines? A critical examination" (January 1, 1988). Solheim, Wilhelm II G., “Further Notes on the Kalanay Pottery Complex in the Philippine Islands” Peralta, Jesus T. and De Santos, Arturo, Kayamanan: Pottery and Ceramics from the Arturo de Santos Collection, Central Bank of the Philippines; 1908 Magbanua, Richard. Traditional Pottery Making in Antique Philippines.