RPMpottery 6 Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Anyone know and have references to back it up? I have found that modern glass will last about 1 million years before it degrades but have found nothing specifically about pottery. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TJR 362 Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 2,000 years. Says so on my business card. "Good for 2,000 years." TJR. High Bridge Pottery, sojournerbliss, firenflux and 1 other 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RPMpottery 6 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 http://sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Enviro-imprints/Looking-Closer/Measuring-biodegradability This says that modern glass will break down in about 1,000,000 years. You'd think cone 10 ceramic would be similar? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bciskepottery 963 Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 All I know is that mine will be around a lot longer than I will . . . so, if you adhere to the old saying about the importance of first impressions, make sure you reduce your seconds and discards to tiny shards and only your best work survives for future generations yet to come to find. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BeckyH 42 Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Pottery over 3,500 years old has been found, with recognizable food scraps still in it. I suspect modern pottery will last a good long while. It's basically a rock if fully vitrified, and rocks can last millions and millions of years. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TJR 362 Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Pottery over 3,500 years old has been found, with recognizable food scraps still in it. I suspect modern pottery will last a good long while. It's basically a rock if fully vitrified, and rocks can last millions and millions of years. Remember to wash the food out of your pottery before you throw it out. TJR. Dale pots 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mark C. 4,932 Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Man has not been keeping records as long as pottery will last. As far as Backup-the chinese porcelains are still looking new from long ago. The ancient Greek urns out of lesser clays are still around as well. What all this means is your work that is fired should be top notch as it will outlive you by a long shot. Mark sojournerbliss 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Benzine 1,177 Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 I prescribe to the "Christopher Walken" philosophy, in regards to my work. Put a lot of it out there, some of it may be sub par, but odds are, at least some will be great and people will enjoy it. sojournerbliss 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
perkolator 59 Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 since we essentially duplicate the process of forming rocks, all of our ceramics is permanent and will be here until it melts again with some great force of energy. maybe some sort of ultra hot explosion from warfare, volcano or lava flow, or perhaps heat from asteroid colliding with Earth. with that said, there is a lot of terrible ceramics out there that will be here forever. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cavy Fire Studios 321 Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 AGH...my terracotta just got called a "lesser clay!" Uff...we were mighty warriors who protected an emperor! Whoever heard of the " Porcelain Army?" ....toilets are made of porcelain. My pottery will LAST FOREVAR Guinea pots are IMMORTAL! (Unless they break. Or the kiln eats them...or a goat.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pres 2,414 Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Simply put, I used to tell my students that pottery shards are found all over the world that are at least 2000 years old, so their stuff would be in a future archeological dig and probably stored iin some museum basement because they couldn't figure out what to do with it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sojournerbliss 1 Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 On 1/9/2015 at 5:05 PM, Mark C. said: Man has not been keeping records as long as pottery will last. As far as Backup-the chinese porcelains are still looking new from long ago. The ancient Greek urns out of lesser clays are still around as well. What all this means is your work that is fired should be top notch as it will outlive you by a long shot. Mark My favorite response. Now I shall move on to figuring out how to make these amateur pieces look top notch. Magnolia Mud Research 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
liambesaw 2,815 Posted August 21, 2020 Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 Here's what I assume. They'll last longer than anyone will care or remember me, which is long enough by far. As soon as I die, I am gone forever, and as soon as everyone I know is dead, the memory of me and my pots will no longer hold any meaningful significance. So who cares. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bill Kielb 1,180 Posted August 21, 2020 Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 Looks like little risk for lifetime guarantee from disintegration. Making pottery last takes little skill as it just does Relative to human life. Making and crafting something carefully and specially is unique to the crafts person which can be everlasting unto itself. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mark C. 4,932 Posted August 21, 2020 Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 2 hours ago, liambesaw said: Here's what I assume. They'll last longer than anyone will care or remember me, which is long enough by far. As soon as I die, I am gone forever, and as soon as everyone I know is dead, the memory of me and my pots will no longer hold any meaningful significance. So who cares. Well not quite. The real deal is this. I was brefly in an empty waiting room (walked thru ) at an accupuncturist today . I took a cancelation from one who is simi retired last minute.I saw areally large nive water cooler in that waiting room and realixed I made it some decades ago. (I have not made one in so long I have no memory of when that may have been but you know your children.The thing is when your memory in others who all die the new people can and will still use your pots -they may have zero knowledge of who and where and why they where made but they will still like them and use and enjoy them .Good pots are used and loved. Well beyond our short lives and those we know. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jrgpots 274 Posted August 21, 2020 Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 (edited) Strictly speaking on definitions, modern pottery can remain "modern" for only 100 year. After that it would no more be modern pottery, but antuque pottery. So, as I see it modern pottery lasts fot 100 year. But, antique pottery ca last thousands........lol.....just thinking......maybe too much. Jed Edited August 21, 2020 by jrgpots Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CactusPots 254 Posted August 21, 2020 Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 On 1/9/2015 at 2:04 PM, bciskepottery said: All I know is that mine will be around a lot longer than I will . . . so, if you adhere to the old saying about the importance of first impressions, make sure you reduce your seconds and discards to tiny shards and only your best work survives for future generations yet to come to find. I would say the assumption behind this statement is that future cultures will not appreciate or value imperfections. Every creator sets his own standards, so I'm not criticizing this viewpoint, only pointing out it's limitation. You don't have to be a science fiction fan (although it might help) to imagine a world where handmade is no longer possible and replicators churn out perfection after perfection. I can assure you within the lifespan of our work, the values of societies will change. What was once trash soon becomes treasure. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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