Clay: The History and Evolution of Humankind's Relationship with Earth's Most Primal ElementMore than a third of the houses in the world are made of clay. Clay vessels were instrumental in the invention of cooking, wine and beer making, and international trade. Our toilets are made of clay. The first spark plugs were thrown on the potter’s wheel. Clay has played a vital role in the health and beauty fields. Indeed, this humble material was key to many advances in civilization, including the development of agriculture and the invention of baking, architecture, religion, and even the space program. In Clay, Suzanne Staubach takes a lively look at the startling history of the mud beneath our feet. Told with verve and erudition, this story will ensure you won’t see the world around you in quite the same way after reading the book. |
Contents
1 COOKING POTS AND STORAGE JARS Porridge Ale and International Commerce | 1 |
2 HEARTH AND HOME Ovens Heat and the Invention of Baking | 19 |
3 THE FIRST MACHINE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDUSTRY | 44 |
4 SET THE TABLE From a Simple Bowl to a 2200Piece Dinner Set | 64 |
5 A WORD OR TWO The Invention of Writing and Books | 97 |
6 THE MOST POPULAR BUILDING MATERIAL Cities Walls and Floors of Mud | 112 |
7 SANITATION A Nice Hot Bath a Drink of Water and Dont Forget to Flush | 140 |
8 FARMING MADE EASY Irrigation Propagation and Incubation | 160 |
11 ART TOYS GODS GODDESSES AND FERTILITY | 203 |
12 A FITTING DEATH Urns Gravestones Companions and Thieves | 225 |
CONCLUSION | 245 |
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN PINCH POT | 248 |
MUSEUMS | 251 |
NOTES | 255 |
| 260 | |
CREDITS | 271 |
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Clay: The History and Evolution of Humankind's Relationship with Earth's ... Suzanne Staubach No preview available - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
adobe ancient Archaeologists ashes baked became beehive ovens began bentonite Bi Sheng bowls bread building built burned brick century ceramic chamber pots chimney China Chinese clay color Common Era cooking pots covered culture cups decorated designs dishes dome early earth earthenware Egyptians England Europe fields figures figurines filled find fine finished fire fired fired bricks fired clay fireplace firing first fish five flames flat floor flow flowerpots flowers garden glass goddess Greek heat hole houses Ibid India influenced inside invention jugs kaolin kiln later layer lead glaze Mesopotamia metal Ming dynasty molds Museum Neolithic oxides pipes placed plants porcelain potter’s wheel produce Romans roof Rumford shape smoke sometimes stone stoneware storage jars stove studio potters tableware tandoor temperatures terra-cotta thousand tiles toilets tomb unfired urns vases vessels walls ware wattle and daub wattle-and-daub wine wood