Firing Replica Ancient Earthen Ware Pottery in an Open Wood Fire

Firing hand built pottery made from wild clays harvested by hand. In this firing run, I was testing some unproven clays, and these clips show the baking of a single Late Woodland "Albee" phase replica. Open firing only works with some clays that have been properly tempered. If all is done correctly, we often achieve near 100% success firing 50 vessels made by first-time gradeschool students in one big fire.
Pre-historic earthenware can be used many ways, like cooking directly over a fire - including boiling, baking, parching and steaming - without breaking due to thermal shock.
"Primitive" pottery is a perfect project for educational applications. Feel free to check out my website, www.burntmud.com.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• pottery
• ceramic
• firing
• hand
• building
• burning
• primitive
• skills
• cooking
• flame
• clay
• making

[slipnt6]

So without the Temper will it still hold water my wife and I are trying to use clay that we dug up ourselves for the first time any suggestions?

[loosanarrow]

@slipnt6 Temper actually makes the wares more porous, but most clays will not survive firing without added temper. So yes, it will hold water without added temper, but may not survive firing without it.

[bigtruck182]

why do you take the pot out while so hot if yur worryed about it cracking does it have a set time in the fire i make first nations clay pipes an effigy pipes i leave them till they cool naturaly or pull heat away from them slowy i have broke a few pipes by them cooling to fast . watch my video / great pots by the way thats my next thing to learn keeep up the good work

[loosanarrow]

I am testing the clay/temper mixture to see if it can withstand that treatment. Some clays will survive being taken out red hot, others will not. Thanks for the compliments, and best wishes with your pipes.

[astrialkil]

@turborabbit1114 No! Clay smokers had tongue and lip cancer MUCH higher then other pipe smokers!

here is something about the minerals

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There is a old med book on Google books that goes into lip cancer being from clay pipes , search Google books for "clay pipes tongue cancer"

If your going to smoke pipe then smoke corncob or wood.

[turborabbit1114]

@astrialkil wouldnt the tongue cancer come from smoking tobacco, not from the pipes? people get tongue cancer from just chewing tobacco, it seems like you are putting the carriage before the horse here.

[slipnt6]

Thanks for the answer we are gonna try without tempering can you make a video of how to temper i cant find it. We are gonna give some small things we made a shot.

[loosanarrow]

@astrialkil Temper is crushed sifted granite. If you look at my other videos, one of them shows some vessels fired here boiling maple sap. I cook in them often, and they will boil-over if not tended carefully.

[ThePhantomBlacksmith]

@astrialkil bummer...I've been wanting to try this a long time. Maybe it's not bentonite but some other grey clay. I'll ask around. Thanks for the tip :)

[astrialkil]

@loosanarrow What is the temper?

Is this pottery good for cooking/boiling in? A lady in another vid said it was too pours and would sweat.

[astrialkil]

@MotorboatenMcL Hey clay pipes were proven to cause tongue cancer in the 1800's ! please don't smoke with them.

[astrialkil]

@ThePhantomBlacksmith I don't know about natural bentonite clay but the bentonite drilling mud used to seal evaporation ponds don't work at all. It holds WAY too much water and just crumbles as it dries.