Qualicum Beach Pit Fired Pottery by Tracee Carey

Pit firing pottery is an ancient technique used to transform clay into a usable and reusable ceramic piece.

Todays techniques mimic the ancient techniques but are now mostly used as decorative pieces of pottery. 

 

After digging a pit in the sand or dirt and then placing bone dry clay pots among sticks, wood, leaves and grasses to create a fire that will burn down to a good bed of coals, greenery is added to create a smoky environment then covering the pit to smother the fire and cooling the pieces, there by trapping the carbons within the pores of the ceramic as the pieces cool.

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Opening the pit reveals the unique patterns of each piece.