Ever wondered how ancient pottery was fired without kilns? In this video, Andy Ward and I take you deep into the Arizona desert to explore ancient pottery firing using primitive pottery techniques once practiced by the Salado and Ancestral Puebloans. This is a traditional pottery firing process designed to achieve distinctive black carbon designs, just as ancient pottery makers did centuries ago!
📌 What You’ll Learn in This Ancient Pottery Firing Guide:
✅ How to fire pottery using primitive pottery techniques in an open fire pottery setup
✅ The secrets behind Salado Polychrome pottery and its organic paint pottery process
✅ Primitive pottery methods to control temperature and avoid cracks
✅ Managing heat with Southwest pottery firing strategies for the best results
✅ Achieving true ancient pottery firing temperatures of 750-800°C
🔥 What is Ancient Pottery Firing?
For centuries, cultures like the Salado, Ancestral Puebloans, Mogollon, and Hohokam mastered traditional pottery firing. Instead of modern kilns, they relied on primitive pottery techniques, carefully managing temperature spikes to ensure survival. The goal? To create stunning black carbon markings while preventing the organic paint from burning off.
🌵 Why This Primitive Pottery Firing Matters:
The process of firing ancient pottery is more than just technique—it’s about reviving primitive pottery traditions and honoring ancient craftsmanship. By using primitive pottery methods, we bring the past back to life, preserving the knowledge and skills of ancient pottery makers.
👀 Watch till the end to see if our ancient pottery survives the fire or if the flames claim it!
🙏 Special Thanks
A huge thank you to Andy Ward (@ancientpottery) for sharing his incredible knowledge and expertise in primitive pottery firing! His dedication to reviving ancient pottery techniques has been an inspiration, and this firing wouldn’t have been the same without him.
Be sure to check out his channel Ancient Pottery for in-depth tutorials, primitive pottery techniques, and expert insights into traditional ceramic craftsmanship!
🔗 More Ancient Pottery & Primitive Pottery Videos:
🎥 Secrets of the Sinagua: https://youtu.be/IO4Ssd8NHRA
🎥 Primitive Pottery Firing Techniques: https://youtu.be/iXmF7-dwGzg
📌 Subscribe for more ancient pottery firing techniques, primitive pottery skills, and Southwest pottery content!
▬▮ Social Media ▮▬
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▬▮ Chapters ▮▬
00:00 Intro
00:41 Primitive Pottery Firing
00:57 Gathering the Fuel
02:51 The Salado
04:12 Lighting the Warm-up Fire
16:47 Outro
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