Pottery

Hello. My name is Pottery. Before I was a strong bowl, I was just soft, squishy clay from the warm earth. I felt just like mud pies. A long, long time ago, people needed lots of help. They picked yummy red berries from bushes and needed cool water to drink from the river. But their hands were always too full to carry everything. They wished for a helper to hold their food and water, and that helper was me.

One day, a very, very long time ago, around 20,000 BCE, some clever people in a place we now call China had a wonderful idea. They took me, the soft clay, and gently patted and rolled me. They poked and pinched me until I was shaped like a cup. Then came the most exciting part. They gave me a big, warm hug inside a very hot fire. I was a little nervous, but when I came out, I was not soft anymore. The fire made me strong and hard. I could hold water without falling apart. I felt so proud.

After that, I became a super helper for everyone. I held warm stew for hungry families to share at dinner. I kept grains and seeds safe and dry for the long winter. I carried cool water all the way from the river so people could have a drink. Because I could help so much, people could stay in one cozy place and build villages together. Today, I am still your helper. I might be your breakfast bowl for cereal or the happy pot for your flowers. Sometimes, people paint me with pretty colors, and I become beautiful art that makes you smile.