X 



THE PRODUCTS OF CLAY AND FIRE 



AT just what period in his evolution primitive 

 man may have learned to mold crude vessels 

 out of clay and harden them in the sun, or 

 how he came to learn this at all, must ever remain 

 a matter of conjecture. It is certain, however, that 

 the first steps of the process were taken ages and ages 

 before the dawn of history, perhaps even before our 

 primitive ancestor had learned to use fire in preparing 

 his food. The idea may have been suggested to him 

 by noticing that his own footprints in wet clay became 

 hard, stonelike receptacles when the clay had dried in 

 the sun. Once he had noticed this, the idea that use- 

 ful vessels could be molded out of this same plastic 

 substance and dried in the sun would sooner or later 

 suggest itself to his mind. 



But such crude clay vessels would be of little use 

 for holding liquids, since sun-dried clay absorbs water 

 readily and becomes soft. They could be used for 

 holding dry substances, however, just as similar ves- 

 sels are used for this very purpose to-day in rainless 

 Egypt. Still they would be of relatively little value 

 as compared with vessels made in the same way, 

 and hardened by fire. When men had learned to 

 harden the clay by burning it, they had at hand mate- 



[227] 



