Pottery is the art and craft of shaping clay into useful or beautiful objects, then hardening them with heat. When you make a bowl, vase, mug, or plate from clay and fire it in a special oven called a kiln, you're creating pottery.

The process starts with wet, pliable clay that can be molded by hand or shaped on a spinning wheel called a potter's wheel. After the clay dries, it goes into a kiln where temperatures can reach over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This intense heat transforms the clay chemically, turning it from something that would soften or break down in water into a hard, permanent material.

Pottery is one of humanity's oldest crafts. Archaeologists have found pottery fragments over 20,000 years old. The invention of pottery gave people a much better way to store water, cook food over fire, and keep grain safer from pests, which helped change daily life in ancient civilizations.

The word also refers to the actual objects potters create. You might visit a pottery shop selling handmade bowls and cups, or help your grandmother organize her collection of antique pottery. Some pottery is purely practical, like a sturdy dinner plate, while other pieces are artistic expressions that potters glaze with colorful, intricate designs.