Pottery is the ceramic act of making pottery wares,[1] of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery (plural "potteries"). Pottery also refers to the art or craft of a potter or the manufacture of pottery.[2][3] The definition of pottery used by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is "all fired ceramic wares that contain clay when formed, except technical, structural, and refractory products."[4] Some archaeologists use a different understanding of this definition by excluding ceramic objects such as figurines which are made by similar processes and of similar materials but are not vessels.[5] Pottery originated during the Neolithic period. Ceramic objects like the Gravettian culture Venus of Dolní Věstonice figurine discovered in the Czech Republic date back to 29,000–25,000 BC,[6] and pottery vessels discovered in Jiangxi, China date back to 20,000 BP.[7] Early Neolithic pottery has also been found in Jomon Japan (10,500 BC),[8] the Russian Far East (14,000 BC),[9] Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Pottery is made by forming a clay body into objects of a required shape and heating them to high temperatures in a kiln which removes all the water from the clay, which induces reactions that lead to permanent changes including increasing their strength and hardening and setting their shape. A clay body can be decorated before or after firing. Prior to some shaping processes, clay must be prepared. Kneading helps to ensure an even moisture content throughout the body. Air trapped within the clay body needs to be removed. This is called de-airing and can be accomplished by a machine called a vacuum pug or manually by wedging. Wedging can also help produce an even moisture content. Once a clay body has been kneaded and de-aired or wedged, it is shaped by a variety of techniques. After shaping it is dried and then fired. Pottery is one of the oldest handicrafts in Sri Lanka. The primarily useful character of Sri Lankan pottery has been continuing to exist since the very beginning of Sinhala civilization. The simplicity of ornamentation and charm of the elegance of pottery have held fast in the Island since pre-history. Pots are made of clay. Pottery is a living craft that relates very much to the life of Sri Lanka. Small votive lamps, graceful water jugs, decorative ornaments and various cooking vessels of clay are very popular. Even though there are many new ideas in this field many potters. Still employ traditional methods are made on rotations disk that the pottery keeps turning. It’s called a potter’s wheel. It is a fast turning wheel. A lump of clay is placed on this wheel and then the potter forms a pot by turning the lumps of clay. Decoration to the pot is done by incising patterns or stamping with dyes while the clay is still wet. Most pots are fired in a primitive kiln built of bricks or stones. It is covered with a wattle and