This clay pot was made by hand before pottery wheels were used in Egypt. Roll your cursor over the photograph to magnify. Do you see any details that give us clues about how the pot was made? Try creating your own pot out of clay or modeling dough.

To begin, make a pinch pot:
Roll some clay into a ball. Press your thumb into the center of the ball. Then pinch your thumb and forefinger together as you turn the ball slowly in a circle. As you pinch and turn, you are thinning and shaping the walls of your pot.

To add height, make some coils:
Roll a piece of clay out into a long, slender "snake" or coil. Place the coil along the rim of your pot and use your fingers or a Popsicle stick to smooth the coil onto the rim. (Moistening the rim first with a little water is helpful for natural clays).