What is Clay?

A Presentation Created By Mrs. O’Loughlin

What is Clay?Clay is very fine particles of dirt which float in a stream or river and then sink to the bottom, where they press on each other and stick together. You generally find clay along the banks of a river or stream.

These cliffs in Martha's Vineyard are made almost entirely of clay.

What is Clay?Clay is squishy when it is wet, so you can make it any shape you like, and then it dries hard.

What is a Kiln?When the clay is dry you put it in a fire, or in an oven (a clay oven is called a kiln) and bake it for a while, the clay gets even harder and it will not get soft again. This is called firing.

                                        

Clay and Ancient TimesPeople first began firing fire clay about 6000 BC. People in the ancient world used clay to build houses by making bricks and drying them in the sun. They mixed straw with the clay to help it stick together better. This is called mud-brick, or adobe (ah-DOUGH-bee), or pise (pea-SAY). They fired the bricks, to make them harder and more waterproof.

Clay and Ancient Times This is the world’s largest adobe structure made out of mud bricks.

The citadel of Arg-é Bam: The world's largest adobe structure, dating to at least 500 BC. Located in southeastern Iran.

More Things Made From Clay

People also used fired clay for their dishes, plates and cups.

More Things Made From Clay

They used clay for statues too. The Etruscans in particular are known for their clay statues.

More Things Made From Clay

Ancient Greece

More Things Made From Clay

Ancient China

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Modern

More Things Made From Clay

Modern

Clay MethodsSlabCoilPinch Pot