I can’t wait to show this to my middle school pottery students. What a fantastic journey those pots went through. Thank you for taking the time to share!
One thing I love about how you show us what you're doing is that, in all likelihood, it's what the ancient potters did - not reading about it, but watching and listening along with someone experienced, with trial-and-error thrown in. It's something uniquely human. Those pots came out beautifully - if they were on sale for a hefty price in somewhere like Anthropologie, I don't think any untrained eye would realise that these are ancient designs and methods!
I like the lighter black that you got with the mesquite sap, just as much as the darker black with the yucca fruit. I think they all turned out wonderful and thank you again Andy for bringing us along! Very great tips and very beautiful pieces!
I learn as much as I am inspired to experiment on my own from Andy Ward. My interest is mostly ancient mineral paint but I think there are some things shared in ancient potters material and methods using both organic and mineral paint. This is fun stuff and Andy keeps us engaged !
Great tips Andy. As usual, I learned something helpful... I fire in my woodstove. I know it's not strictly traditional, but once you understand it a little, it works great. With some blacksmithing tongs, It's possible to get those fire clouds to land on the pot where you want them, for instance. I get an interesting control with atmosphere by manipulating the dampers at different points in firing, as well. Give it a try if you have access to one. The results can be quite fine. Thanks Andy....and Happy Holidays from Scholle, NM! 🎉
My first ever pottery firings were in a woodstove. There are no rules to pottery, just a million ways to do things, everybody does it a little different. Thanks for sharing your process.
Yes, there are, and I really appreciate the sense of sharing/community you create here...and I will share anything that seems relevant and helpful too! Here's one... If you fire in your woodstove you can sleep for that hour that you spend driving to the boonies. 😋
Today i was with a friend and we spoke about my absolute love of pottery! And low and behold you show up again on my feed! Haha thank you for inspiring me.. I WILL finally get my head around primitive pottery practices♥️☺️ and ooooo I’m gonna enjoy it! Thank you 🙏 and greetings from Italy!! From one of your Scottish italian fans!
Impressively quick firing …& very nice Pueblo type designs , but I see you’re referring to prehistoric pots. Very interesting. Makes me want to try this .. Inspiring !
I am a pottery replicator, that is to say I make replicas of ancient pots. So even if I am being creative in the designs I am always being inspired by the ancient potters. Thanks!
Should have watched this again before firing. Probably overloaded wood, slight breeze came up, should have broken it up sooner. Used 20% sand temper this time but all three bowls have cracks. But my red paint came out right, your smectite slip - more tan than white (almost pinto-ish), but good bee plant black- Finally!
That’s progress. Good black and red is a win. Add more temper to your clay next time. Look at some prehistoric Salado poly, the white is a bit tan/cream colored.
Ceramics For The Archaeologist amzn.to/3HfpLoL Ceramics And Ideology amzn.to/3vd0BEY Few archaeologists in the Southwest are focusing on the "techniques" of pottery production or even on experimental archaeology.
Really dialing it in Andy! Congratulations!!!! I know some at the last Kiln Conference (e.g. Ms. Caver) suggested that sulfur content of the organic paint might influence the black's darkness; but I really wonder if it is in part the sugars generated by slow cooking down plant materials. I expect that mesquite resin might be relatively low in sugar compared to yucca fruit--but who knows. In any event, I hope you will write this important bit of "experimental archaeology" up in a formal book or at least article that can be referenced, as this firing regimen works both in results and explains the lack of kilns found in the area in which this style of pottery was made.
Love the music you chose. Can you include the info about the music you use.? Thanks. What area did you fire in today? Because i have been toAza few times, i really enjoy seeing new places to explore
I have been learning SO much from your videos! I recently found some clay at a local creek which inspired me to to start looking into pottery. Question: have these vessels already been fired once and then painted and this is the second fire?
No they have not already been fired. Traditionally, pottery in the Southwest is single-fired, so the pots are formed and decorated, then fired only once.
Thank you so much Andy! I’m planning on making ceramic beads. I’ll add temper to the clay, form the beads, add a white slip. When the slip is dry, I’ll try and carve out a design. Then I’ll fire outside using this Salado technique. It will be very experimental, and who knows:could turn up horrible. But it will be an experience, and I’m sure I’ll learn some things! Any tips you can think of for clay beads? I noticed you kind of placed the pots on some rocks, but I’ve heard river rocks can explode if used in fire. Thank you so much for these amazing videos!!!
I have not, but I know of an archaeology student who had good success with walnut. Remember though that when dying cloth the walnut acts as a pigment. While organic pottery paint will burn away any organic pigment, the black designs are just carbon, so just about any plant can work.
Hi Andy, thanks very much for taking the time to create and post your videos! Question for you-these pieces that you are pit firing, these are greenware right? You haven't bisqued them prior, is that correct? Thanks again!
It would be of help if you could mention the date at the beginning of each video. I am an avid follower. However, as a Luddite, I find myself lost in time. I appreciate all the time, effort , and selfless energy you put into each video.
I appreciate luddites, I lean that way myself and I have many good friends of that persuasion. The date is right at the top of the dooblidoo for every video
So the mesquite sap pot .... that design of pot ... what do you think it was used for? I have a pot I cook in with that shape but it is 2 pieces with that style top (I call stove pipe top) it makes great eggs or small one pot dinners or bisuits & some other small raising bread. Though your pot is basically same shape it is one piece which would not allow it to be used as I use mine.
Yeah, a lot of these were not cooking pots, in fact cooking pots in the ancient southwest tended to be plain or corrugated, not decorated like this one. These kinds of pots were probably used for storage.
@@AncientPottery that does make sense with small hole top & so could be sealed with wood plug or wax & wood plug & since side of top slant toward hole it would be easy to pour even last little bit. Thank you I should have seen that myself but am always thinking of cooking end i guess. Maybe i should consider it ingredient storage or spice containers. Clay pots are very good to store in.
No idea, once the pottery reaches the desired temperature it does nothing extra to hold it there. If your pottery is massive or thick it may take longer for the middle to get hot enough, but if your pottery is relatively thin, it should be a rather short process.
If you are not using organic paint it is much easier because there is no danger of overfilling it so I will just let it burn until the wood is all burned up. I have other videos showing this method too.
Hey Andy, I have been thinking about these organic binders, and am wondering if has anyone tested saliva yet? I'm thinking along the lines of what was most readily available, and might have the viscosity/adhesive quality necessary to support the oxides. It's easily possible to change the viscosity of your spit with different foods. Think about what nice paint you might make after drinking a little milk or grapefruit juice? I don't know, but someone's bound to have tried it, right?
@@AncientPottery Ha! Yeah, I woulda left that one alone where Clint was anywhere near, let alone drawing from his personal experience. We all seem to be obsessed to one degree or another with the clay... As for my part, I'm already well deep enough down the rabbit hole to be able to justify the saliva test anyway. Ok, maybe even an earwax-resist test out of pure curiosity, but no further! 😁
I can’t wait to show this to my middle school pottery students. What a fantastic journey those pots went through. Thank you for taking the time to share!
Wonderful, thanks for sharing with your students
One thing I love about how you show us what you're doing is that, in all likelihood, it's what the ancient potters did - not reading about it, but watching and listening along with someone experienced, with trial-and-error thrown in. It's something uniquely human.
Those pots came out beautifully - if they were on sale for a hefty price in somewhere like Anthropologie, I don't think any untrained eye would realise that these are ancient designs and methods!
Thank you so much.
700 degrees Celsius is about 1,292 degrees Fahrenheit for anyone in the US. 😊 Thank you! This was an amazing video!
Beautiful sunrise!
Your videos are exciting to eatch. It's amazing used how smart you ancestors were.
Thank you. yes, it is common for modern people to assume that the ancients were idiots but that can't be farther from the truth.
Great explanation of how to do this. Very helpful and the pots really look beautiful.
Thanks so much 😊
I like the lighter black that you got with the mesquite sap, just as much as the darker black with the yucca fruit. I think they all turned out wonderful and thank you again Andy for bringing us along! Very great tips and very beautiful pieces!
Thanks Mark. I really like it too, it's just a bit of a let down because I was hoping for a dark black. It is certainly still a nice pot.
@@AncientPottery Then again, it also opens up a third midtone option between the white and the pure black of the yucca fruit :)
I would make designs using both types of dye, to get black and gray colors together.
That last bowl is my favorite.
I learn as much as I am inspired to experiment on my own from Andy Ward. My interest is mostly ancient mineral paint but I think there are some things shared in ancient potters material and methods using both organic and mineral paint. This is fun stuff and Andy keeps us engaged !
Thanks Jeff.
Omgosh, this channel is so cool...I absolutely love it!
Thanks
Very helpful video, thanks
You're welcome!
Good job as always. I like the design, painting, and most of all the good instruction.
Thank you very much!
dang this is really cool thanks for sharing Andy
You're welcome.
Great tips Andy. As usual, I learned something helpful...
I fire in my woodstove. I know it's not strictly traditional, but once you understand it a little, it works great. With some blacksmithing tongs, It's possible to get those fire clouds to land on the pot where you want them, for instance. I get an interesting control with atmosphere by manipulating the dampers at different points in firing, as well. Give it a try if you have access to one. The results can be quite fine.
Thanks Andy....and Happy Holidays from Scholle, NM! 🎉
My first ever pottery firings were in a woodstove. There are no rules to pottery, just a million ways to do things, everybody does it a little different. Thanks for sharing your process.
Yes, there are, and I really appreciate the sense of sharing/community you create here...and I will share anything that seems relevant and helpful too!
Here's one...
If you fire in your woodstove you can sleep for that hour that you spend driving to the boonies. 😋
Thanks Andy, for another great lesson.
My pleasure!
Love your channel. Your passion for clay is tangible.
Thank you
If I could make "test" pots as good as yours, Andy, I would be happy
Maybe one day!
Excellent video, excellent photo quality, and I love the big smile posing with your pots at the end!
Thank you so much 😀
Am just captivated with your videos. You make them so interesting. Thanks
Glad you like them!
Very inspiring. Beautiful work!
Thank you so much!
Today i was with a friend and we spoke about my absolute love of pottery! And low and behold you show up again on my feed! Haha thank you for inspiring me.. I WILL finally get my head around primitive pottery practices♥️☺️ and ooooo I’m gonna enjoy it! Thank you 🙏 and greetings from Italy!! From one of your Scottish italian fans!
Thanks for that, it's nice to know people appreciate my videos all over the world. Greeting from Arizona!
Google is listening 😮
Impressively quick firing …& very nice Pueblo type designs , but I see you’re referring to prehistoric pots. Very interesting. Makes me want to try this ..
Inspiring !
I am a pottery replicator, that is to say I make replicas of ancient pots. So even if I am being creative in the designs I am always being inspired by the ancient potters. Thanks!
Have you considered mixing the 2 paint types to get a hybrid to maybe bring out best of both worlds? Great application plus dark color.
Might be a good idea
Great job as always.Amazing
Thanks!
Should have watched this again before firing. Probably overloaded wood, slight breeze came up, should have broken it up sooner. Used 20% sand temper this time but all three bowls have cracks. But my red paint came out right, your smectite slip - more tan than white (almost pinto-ish), but good bee plant black- Finally!
That’s progress. Good black and red is a win. Add more temper to your clay next time. Look at some prehistoric Salado poly, the white is a bit tan/cream colored.
Can you recommend any books or papers that have some of the broader archaeological context for the techniques you show on the channel?
Ceramics For The Archaeologist amzn.to/3HfpLoL
Ceramics And Ideology amzn.to/3vd0BEY
Few archaeologists in the Southwest are focusing on the "techniques" of pottery production or even on experimental archaeology.
Really dialing it in Andy! Congratulations!!!! I know some at the last Kiln Conference (e.g. Ms. Caver) suggested that sulfur content of the organic paint might influence the black's darkness; but I really wonder if it is in part the sugars generated by slow cooking down plant materials. I expect that mesquite resin might be relatively low in sugar compared to yucca fruit--but who knows. In any event, I hope you will write this important bit of "experimental archaeology" up in a formal book or at least article that can be referenced, as this firing regimen works both in results and explains the lack of kilns found in the area in which this style of pottery was made.
Thanks Bill. Yes, I do need to write something eventually, I keep telling myself that.
this question was probably answered but what happens when you overfire a naked pot?
Love the music you chose. Can you include the info about the music you use.? Thanks. What area did you fire in today? Because i have been toAza few times, i really enjoy seeing new places to explore
I have been learning SO much from your videos! I recently found some clay at a local creek which inspired me to to start looking into pottery. Question: have these vessels already been fired once and then painted and this is the second fire?
No they have not already been fired. Traditionally, pottery in the Southwest is single-fired, so the pots are formed and decorated, then fired only once.
Thank you so much Andy! I’m planning on making ceramic beads. I’ll add temper to the clay, form the beads, add a white slip. When the slip is dry, I’ll try and carve out a design. Then I’ll fire outside using this Salado technique. It will be very experimental, and who knows:could turn up horrible. But it will be an experience, and I’m sure I’ll learn some things! Any tips you can think of for clay beads? I noticed you kind of placed the pots on some rocks, but I’ve heard river rocks can explode if used in fire. Thank you so much for these amazing videos!!!
Andy, how do you know when the pots are done (firing)?
When the carbon has burned off and the surface of the pot looks clean
Have you ever tried Black walnut hulls for paint? It dies on cloth a green color.
I have not, but I know of an archaeology student who had good success with walnut. Remember though that when dying cloth the walnut acts as a pigment. While organic pottery paint will burn away any organic pigment, the black designs are just carbon, so just about any plant can work.
Hi Andy, thanks very much for taking the time to create and post your videos! Question for you-these pieces that you are pit firing, these are greenware right? You haven't bisqued them prior, is that correct?
Thanks again!
No not bisqued, these are green. Southwest pottery is traditionally fired only once.
@@AncientPottery thanks so much for your super fast reply!! Firing now, fingers crossed :)
By the way, you are very inspirational!!
Firing complete, 6 in, 6 out, no breaks. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!!
It would be of help if you could mention the date at the beginning of each video. I am an avid follower. However, as a Luddite, I find myself lost in time. I appreciate all the time, effort , and selfless energy you put into each video.
I appreciate luddites, I lean that way myself and I have many good friends of that persuasion. The date is right at the top of the dooblidoo for every video
Where can I get the yucca fruit?
So the mesquite sap pot .... that design of pot ... what do you think it was used for? I have a pot I cook in with that shape but it is 2 pieces with that style top (I call stove pipe top) it makes great eggs or small one pot dinners or bisuits & some other small raising bread.
Though your pot is basically same shape it is one piece which would not allow it to be used as I use mine.
Yeah, a lot of these were not cooking pots, in fact cooking pots in the ancient southwest tended to be plain or corrugated, not decorated like this one. These kinds of pots were probably used for storage.
@@AncientPottery that does make sense with small hole top & so could be sealed with wood plug or wax & wood plug & since side of top slant toward hole it would be easy to pour even last little bit. Thank you I should have seen that myself but am always thinking of cooking end i guess. Maybe i should consider it ingredient storage or spice containers. Clay pots are very good to store in.
Why is it that everything I read online says you have to pit fire for hours? Iv read anything from 4-18 hours in the fire.
No idea, once the pottery reaches the desired temperature it does nothing extra to hold it there. If your pottery is massive or thick it may take longer for the middle to get hot enough, but if your pottery is relatively thin, it should be a rather short process.
Great video.......does Mesquite sap disolve in water....how to you get the sap into a paint?
Thanks Allen. Yes it does, please watch my previous video to learn about that process ua-cam.com/video/BQXeLTxXMH8/v-deo.html
@@AncientPottery Watched this...am going to try pine rosin with the same technique....Thanks
This pottery was already fired once and turned ceramic in another fire right? Or have you made it ceramic in only 15 minutes?
No, this was green ware going in, this was essentially bisque fired in 15 minutes. It will not be fired again, single-fired pottery. BOOM!
How can you tell when it's reaches the right temperature without using paint/slip?
If you are not using organic paint it is much easier because there is no danger of overfilling it so I will just let it burn until the wood is all burned up. I have other videos showing this method too.
Hey Andy, I have been thinking about these organic binders, and am wondering if has anyone tested saliva yet? I'm thinking along the lines of what was most readily available, and might have the viscosity/adhesive quality necessary to support the oxides. It's easily possible to change the viscosity of your spit with different foods. Think about what nice paint you might make after drinking a little milk or grapefruit juice? I don't know, but someone's bound to have tried it, right?
Clint Swink said he tried various bodily fluids, I did not ask him to elaborate…
@@AncientPottery Ha! Yeah, I woulda left that one alone where Clint was anywhere near, let alone drawing from his personal experience.
We all seem to be obsessed to one degree or another with the clay... As for my part, I'm already well deep enough down the rabbit hole to be able to justify the saliva test anyway. Ok, maybe even an earwax-resist test out of pure curiosity, but no further! 😁
Nice work p posted some of my makes on the wild clay club group on Facebook
Looking on there trying to see which post is yours. Are you BJ Levy?
@@AncientPottery my post is waiting for approval in that group I will post in primitive pottery group my name is bj Esancy
@@bje2920 thanks. Primitive Pottery is a better group as it is mine.
✨️Your AWESOME ✨️
Chem trails in the sky 14:15 time stamp.
So close 😊 they're called contrails
👍
👍👍👍👍👍
you've never mentioned how long it takes to fire the pottery
About 15 minutes
You’re in the middle of nowhere. Who calls the fire department?
I live in the middle of Tucson, I drive out to the middle of nowhere to fire my pottery so nobody will call the fire department.