ASKiIMAN™ REALM 45 / ANCIENT POTTERY
--:-- · -- --- ----

The Silent Stratigraphy

OCP, BRW, PGW, NBPW & The Chronology of Clay

REALM 45 — ANCIENT POTTERY

MICRO-REALM 01

Neolithic Hand-made

  • Earliest pottery, hand-formed before the wheel.
  • Coarse fabric, often bearing cord or thumb impressions.
  • Found at sites like Mehrgarh and Burzahom.
MICRO-REALM 02

Harappan Ware

  • Wheel-turned, mass-produced red ware.
  • Painted with black geometric and natural motifs (Peepal leaf, intersecting circles).
  • Standardized shapes indicating central control.
MICRO-REALM 03

Ochre Coloured (OCP)

  • Late Harappan/Chalcolithic transition (c. 2000–1500 BCE).
  • Highly friable; ochre slip easily rubs off on the fingers.
  • Often found in association with 'Copper Hoard' cultures.
MICRO-REALM 04

Black & Red (BRW)

  • Widespread Chalcolithic/Megalithic ware.
  • Result of "inverted firing": rim/interior trapped in reduction (black), exterior in oxidation (red).
  • Common in South Indian Megalithic burials.
MICRO-REALM 05

Painted Grey (PGW)

  • Iron Age / Later Vedic period (c. 1200–600 BCE).
  • Fine, well-fired grey fabric.
  • Painted with black linear and dotted geometric patterns.
MICRO-REALM 06

Northern Black Polished

  • Mauryan Era / Second Urbanization (c. 600–200 BCE).
  • Deluxe ware; extremely lustrous, almost metallic glossy black surface.
  • Requires highly advanced clay preparation and high-temperature firing.
MICRO-REALM 07

Rouletted Ware

  • South & East India (Arikamedu), c. 2nd C BCE – 1st C CE.
  • Characterized by concentric indented rings on the interior base.
  • Indicates strong Indo-Roman maritime trade connections.
MICRO-REALM 08

Burial Urns

  • Large, coarse red/black jars.
  • Used for secondary burials (bones) in Megalithic culture.
  • Found extensively at Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu).
MICRO-REALM 09

Red Polished Sprinklers

  • Kushana/Gupta periods (Western India).
  • Fine red clay with a bright red slip, highly polished.
  • Distinctive "sprinkler" shapes, likely used in Buddhist rituals.
MICRO-REALM 10

Roman Amphorae

  • Imported pottery found at Indian coastal sites (Arikamedu, Pattanam).
  • Tall, twin-handled vessels with pointed bases.
  • Used for transporting wine and olive oil from the Mediterranean.
MICRO-REALM 11

Medieval Glazed Ware

  • Introduced widely during the Delhi Sultanate/Mughal periods.
  • Glassy, waterproof coating (often blue/green).
  • Used for both tableware and architectural tiles.
MICRO-REALM 12

The Kiln

  • Oxidation: Oxygen-rich fire turns iron in clay red.
  • Reduction: Oxygen-starved fire (smothered with ash/dung) turns clay black/grey.
  • Control of airflow defines the pottery era.