As part of our history unit on the ancient Egyptians, Year 4 have been making clay pots in the ancient Egyptian style. In a previous art session, the children looked at a variety of pot designs and styles, used by the ancient Egyptians. They were then asked to design their own pots based on a style called coiling. This week, it was time to get the clay and go potty!
The children created their pots by rolling out long ‘sausages’ of clay which they then used to build up their pots, using plastic bowls as moulds. One of the key aspects they were asked to think about was how to ensure the pots would not break apart after they had dried. The children came up with the idea to use a mixture of water and clay, called ‘slip’, to stick the coils together.
There was a wide range of creative and clever designs that will be painted once they have dried. The children thoroughly enjoyed rolling up their sleeves and getting messy in order to create their own historical artefact. Whether they will all remain intact is in the lap of the (Egyptian) gods!
