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The discovery of firing clay

Eleven thousand years ago, Siberia was an even colder place than it is today. Stone Age man made a discovery and invented pottery. It was noticed that clay left out in the sun dried and became hard but was brittle and broke easily. Dried clay would become soggy again if left out in the rain. Fires were used to keep people warm and to cook food. When these fires were made on top of ground which contained clay, the ground around the fire changed and became stronger. Clay vessels that were baked in fire became pottery. It is believed that the origins of pottery date back to the Ice Age. The process is still very common and used today.

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3 minutes