Burnished Black Pottery

[Doctor]
We are looking now at a vessel made during the Neolithic Age. Man discovered that clay was more durable after it had been fired, and at the same time, people required food storage vessels to store their grain after the introduction of farming. So 'discovery' and 'necessity' were the mothers of invention in the case of these early vessels. Let's take a look at different types of earthenware vessels from the Bronze Age and the early Iron Age.

[Tourist]
But this vase is black!

[Doctor]
The first vessels made during the Neolithic Age were the color of pure clay. They used to decorate earthenware by engraving the pieces using combs or by adding belts. During the Bronze Age, the pottery became more decorative and the use of color was introduced.

[Tourist]
What did they use to color the earthenware?

[Doctor ]
They used minerals. They rubbed charcoal, for example, into the surface of the pot and then baked it to produce a shiny black finish. The desire to make more beautiful vessels, combined with the development of technology that permitted the use of minerals, resulted in the production of the Burnished Black Pottery that you see here.

[Tourist]
Oh, I see. The simple, black color here actually represents a technological development.

[Doctor]
Yes. That's a good analysis. Great effort was put into making the vessels.