What is Mankind's Greatest Invention?

[Speaker to Animals]

Then there is specific pottery designs. That's an entirely separate way of studying ceramics. Ceramics tells you a lot of how ancient cultures actually progressed, technologically.

[C-Mag]

I don't see it that way.

You're talking about refined material and production differences. It's all evolutionary technology based off of the original idea of shaping clay, firing and glazing the shape. People have gotten better at it, but there is nothing revolutionary different about it.

You are not seeing the way it really is.

Ceramics is not some ancient tech long since mastered. It continues to develop and is one of the most critical technologies today. Just not because of granaries. That was my quibble.

The difference between glazed ceramics and earlier ceramics is night and day. The technologies that made it possible to create more complex pottery designs was critical to more complex technologies that relied upon ceramics. Then there is the development of glass and ever more complex ceramic materials. The development of different kiln technologies and different methods for making more durable ceramics.

Ceramics may be one of the oldest technologies, but it never stopped developing. From the first rudimentary clay pots to semiconductors to spaceships.

Dude!

It's just evolutionary technology. Yes, it's developing. Yes, every rock head knows it's a way to mark and study cultures.

I'm not looking at this with tunnel vision and the nuances between rough red clay pots or porcelain. In the end, you are still using a clay like material, shaping it, firing it and glazing it. It's the same fucking technology, just evolved.

[Montegriffo]

I don't see it that way.

You're talking about refined material and production differences. It's all evolutionary technology based off of the original idea of shaping clay, firing and glazing the shape. People have gotten better at it, but there is nothing revolutionary different about it.

You are not seeing the way it really is.

Ceramics is not some ancient tech long since mastered. It continues to develop and is one of the most critical technologies today. Just not because of granaries. That was my quibble.

The difference between glazed ceramics and earlier ceramics is night and day. The technologies that made it possible to create more complex pottery designs was critical to more complex technologies that relied upon ceramics. Then there is the development of glass and ever more complex ceramic materials. The development of different kiln technologies and different methods for making more durable ceramics.

Ceramics may be one of the oldest technologies, but it never stopped developing. From the first rudimentary clay pots to semiconductors to spaceships.

Dude!

It's just evolutionary technology. Yes, it's developing. Yes, every rock head knows it's a way to mark and study cultures.

I'm not looking at this with tunnel vision and the nuances between rough red clay pots or porcelain. In the end, you are still using a clay like material, shaping it, firing it and glazing it. It's the same fucking technology, just evolved.

Most of the advances have come from improvements to the kilns (more reliable temperatures etc) and the quality of materials.

Point is that without sealed containers you can't store your excess production to ensure you have food during lean times.
If you can't store food securely you can't leave hunter-gathering completely behind and form agricultural societies. You would fail in the first winter or the first time your crops failed.
Pottery brought the first truly secure storage.

A sealed ceramic pot buried in the ground is the first temperature controlled food storage.

[C-Mag]

Most of the advances have come from improvements to the kilns (more reliable temperatures etc) and the quality of materials.

Point is that without sealed containers you can't store your excess production to ensure you have food during lean times.
If you can't store food securely you can't leave hunter-gathering completely behind and form agricultural societies. You would fail in the first winter or the first time your crops failed.
Pottery brought the first truly secure storage.

A sealed ceramic pot buried in the ground is the first temperature controlled food storage.

Pottery wasn't something I thought of as tech all that important to humans. But upon reflection, even in 1st world industrialized countries pottery survived as an important tool into the 20th C. Into the 21st for a few remote places probably.

My mom and sister still make Kraut in big crocks. They don't get used for long term storage though.

[Speaker to Animals]

You are not seeing the way it really is.

Ceramics is not some ancient tech long since mastered. It continues to develop and is one of the most critical technologies today. Just not because of granaries. That was my quibble.

The difference between glazed ceramics and earlier ceramics is night and day. The technologies that made it possible to create more complex pottery designs was critical to more complex technologies that relied upon ceramics. Then there is the development of glass and ever more complex ceramic materials. The development of different kiln technologies and different methods for making more durable ceramics.

Ceramics may be one of the oldest technologies, but it never stopped developing. From the first rudimentary clay pots to semiconductors to spaceships.

Dude!

It's just evolutionary technology. Yes, it's developing. Yes, every rock head knows it's a way to mark and study cultures.

I'm not looking at this with tunnel vision and the nuances between rough red clay pots or porcelain. In the end, you are still using a clay like material, shaping it, firing it and glazing it. It's the same fucking technology, just evolved.

Most of the advances have come from improvements to the kilns (more reliable temperatures etc) and the quality of materials.

Point is that without sealed containers you can't store your excess production to ensure you have food during lean times.
If you can't store food securely you can't leave hunter-gathering completely behind and form agricultural societies. You would fail in the first winter or the first time your crops failed.
Pottery brought the first truly secure storage.

A sealed ceramic pot buried in the ground is the first temperature controlled food storage.

Yes you can. It's called a granary.

Storing a huge surplus of grain in pots is not practical anyway. That only makes sense if you want to transport the grain.

[Montegriffo]

Most of the advances have come from improvements to the kilns (more reliable temperatures etc) and the quality of materials.

Point is that without sealed containers you can't store your excess production to ensure you have food during lean times.
If you can't store food securely you can't leave hunter-gathering completely behind and form agricultural societies. You would fail in the first winter or the first time your crops failed.
Pottery brought the first truly secure storage.


A sealed ceramic pot buried in the ground is the first temperature controlled food storage.

Pottery wasn't something I thought of as tech all that important to humans. But upon reflection, even in 1st world industrialized countries pottery survived as an important tool into the 20th C. Into the 21st for a few remote places probably.

My mom and sister still make Kraut in big crocks. They don't get used for long term storage though.

Never underestimate the value of the potter.

[Montegriffo]

Dude!

It's just evolutionary technology. Yes, it's developing. Yes, every rock head knows it's a way to mark and study cultures.

I'm not looking at this with tunnel vision and the nuances between rough red clay pots or porcelain. In the end, you are still using a clay like material, shaping it, firing it and glazing it. It's the same fucking technology, just evolved.

Most of the advances have come from improvements to the kilns (more reliable temperatures etc) and the quality of materials.

Point is that without sealed containers you can't store your excess production to ensure you have food during lean times.
If you can't store food securely you can't leave hunter-gathering completely behind and form agricultural societies. You would fail in the first winter or the first time your crops failed.
Pottery brought the first truly secure storage.

A sealed ceramic pot buried in the ground is the first temperature controlled food storage.

Yes you can. It's called a granary.

Storing a huge surplus of grain in pots is not practical anyway. That only makes sense if you want to transport the grain.

Grain is not the only food.
Never the less, dry grain stored in airtight pots will last years and keep you from famine in the hard times.
Pots enable you to store food in brine.
Pots mean you can pickle.
Pots enable you to preserve food through fermentation.
Pots save lives.

[Montegriffo]

Most of the advances have come from improvements to the kilns (more reliable temperatures etc) and the quality of materials.

Point is that without sealed containers you can't store your excess production to ensure you have food during lean times.
If you can't store food securely you can't leave hunter-gathering completely behind and form agricultural societies. You would fail in the first winter or the first time your crops failed.
Pottery brought the first truly secure storage.

A sealed ceramic pot buried in the ground is the first temperature controlled food storage.

Yes you can. It's called a granary.

Storing a huge surplus of grain in pots is not practical anyway. That only makes sense if you want to transport the grain.

Grain is not the only food.
Never the less, dry grain stored in airtight pots will last years and keep you from famine in the hard times.
Pots enable you to store food in brine.
Pots mean you can pickle.
Pots enable you to preserve food through fermentation.
Pots enable you to brew ales/mead etc and purify water so you don't get sick
Pots save lives and build civilisations.

[Speaker to Animals]

Most of the advances have come from improvements to the kilns (more reliable temperatures etc) and the quality of materials.

Point is that without sealed containers you can't store your excess production to ensure you have food during lean times.
If you can't store food securely you can't leave hunter-gathering completely behind and form agricultural societies. You would fail in the first winter or the first time your crops failed.
Pottery brought the first truly secure storage.

A sealed ceramic pot buried in the ground is the first temperature controlled food storage.

Yes you can. It's called a granary.

Storing a huge surplus of grain in pots is not practical anyway. That only makes sense if you want to transport the grain.

Grain is not the only food.
Never the less, dry grain stored in airtight pots will last years and keep you from famine in the hard times.
Pots enable you to store food in brine.
Pots mean you can pickle.
Pots enable you to preserve food through fermentation.
Pots save lives.

Grain stored in a sealed granary last years too. You should read the Bible some time.

[Montegriffo]

One early culture was even named after its pottery.