The researchers have developed the first direct method for dating pottery by examining animal fats preserved inside the ceramic walls. Archaeologists have long dated sites by the visual appearance of pottery fragments found around the site. Pottery is essential for classifying archaeological sites.

How do they date pottery?

The dating procedure involves measuring the mass of a sample of ceramic and then heating it to around 500 degrees Celsius in a furnace, which removes the water. The re-fired ceramic is then weighed immediately, using a highly accurate microbalance, to determine precisely the rate of water recombination.

What can you do with pottery shards?

5 Things to Do with… Broken PotsMAKE PLANT MARKERS. Photo: hardlyhousewives.com. Add character and order to your garden all at once: Mark your plantings with labeled clay shards sunk into the ground. ERECT A TOAD ABODE. Photo: homeandgardencafe.com. IMPROVE DRAINAGE. Photo: themarthablog.com. FIX IT! Photo: timetocraft.co.uk.