Keywords
Ancient Trade
Metallurgy
Archaeology
Material Culture
How to Cite
Abstract
This article explores the historical evolution of pottery, tracing its development from the early Neolithic period to modern times. It examines pottery not merely as a utilitarian craft but as a crucial marker of technological innovation, economic systems, social organization, and cultural symbolism. The discussion highlights the invention of the potter’s wheel, the rise of Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) in ancient India, and the transition towards metallurgy. It also analyzes how pottery facilitated the growth of trade networks and served significant roles in religious and ritual contexts. Even in the modern era, pottery remains relevant through industrial ceramics and traditional craftsmanship. By investigating pottery’s material, technological, and symbolic dimensions, this article demonstrates that pottery is not just about objects — it is a profound narrative of human creativity, adaptation, and cultural continuity across millennia.
References
1. Agrawal, D. P. 1982. The Archaeology of India. London: Curzon Press.
2. Chakrabarti, Dilip K. 1995. The Archaeology of Ancient Indian Cities. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
3. Kenoyer, Jonathan Mark. 1998. Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilization. Karachi: Oxford University Press.
4. Malarvizhi, K. 2017. Northern Black Polished Ware: Early Historic Urbanization and Social Complexity. New Delhi: Research India Press.
5. Orton, Clive, and Michael Hughes. 2013. Pottery in Archaeology. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
6. Rice, Prudence M. 1987. Pottery Analysis: A Sourcebook. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
7. Roux, Georges. 1992. Ancient Iraq. London: Penguin Books.
8. Singh, Upinder. 2008. A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Delhi: Pearson Education.
9. Vidale, Massimo. 2000. The Archaeology of Indus Crafts: Indus Craftspeople and Why We Study Them. New Delhi: Indian Archaeological Society.
10. Wright, Rita P. 2010. The Ancient Indus: Urbanism, Economy, and Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 JASSSR