potshard
Broken pottery piece
A potshard is a fragment of broken pottery, especially one found at an archaeological site.
The pieces help date excavations and reveal information about ancient cultures.
Also spelled potsherd, preserving the old English word for a broken piece of earthenware.
Moldable earth for ceramics
- kilnOven for hardening clay
- glazeThin lustrous coating
- earthenwareLow-temperature fired pottery
- stonewareDense ceramic fired hot
firing · terracotta · faience · majolica · slip · temper · coil · wheel-thrown
Act of unearthing
- digUnearth by shoveling
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- contextCircumstances shaping meaning
- trowelFlat blade for spreading
carbon-dating · site · layer · occupation · survey · fieldwork · sediment · grid
Act of shattering
- chipSmall broken-off piece
- pieceA portion or segment
- sliverThin split-off piece
- splinterThin sharp fragment
bit · segment · flake · remnant · broken · incomplete · partial · edge
Before documented civilization
- antiquityGreat age, ancient era
- neolithicFinal Stone Age period
- classicalOf ancient Greece/Rome
- medievalOf the Middle Ages
ancestral · heritage · civilization · settlement · culture · historic · bygone · primordial
clay
Moldable earth for ceramics
- kilnOven for hardening clay
- glazeThin lustrous coating
- earthenwareLow-temperature fired pottery
stoneware · firing · terracotta · faience · majolica · slip · temper · coil · wheel-thrown · hand-built
excavation
Act of unearthing
- digUnearth by shoveling
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- contextCircumstances shaping meaning
trowel · carbon-dating · site · layer · occupation · survey · fieldwork · sediment · grid · typology
breakage
Act of shattering
splinter · bit · segment · flake · remnant · broken · incomplete · partial · edge · crack
prehistoric
Before documented civilization
medieval · ancestral · heritage · civilization · settlement · culture · historic · bygone · primordial · timeless
relic
Preserved ancient object
- museumPublic exhibit space
- exhibitItem publicly displayed
- collectionGathered set of items
specimen · vestige · treasure · heirloom · curio · collectible · trove · discovery · display · catalogue