Iron Age pottery

In Design and Technology, the children have been learning how people in the Stone Age to Iron Age made their clay pots — and they’ve had a go at making their own too! Early potters didn’t have modern tools, so they used what they could find around them, such as bone, antlers and shells. These simple tools helped them shape their pots and add patterns.

The children discovered that Stone Age people often used the coiling method. They would start by making a small, flat base, then roll out long “snakes” of clay and stack them on top of one another to build the sides. Once the shape was finished, the pot would be smoothed and decorated, sometimes with patterns inspired by nature or everyday life.

Our class followed these same steps — making a base, coiling the walls, smoothing the clay and adding their own designs. It was a brilliant way for them to experience how early people created the pots they used for cooking, storing food and carrying water.