Clay, Temper, Fire: Exploring Maryland's Indigenous Ceramics

Maryland Archeology Month 2025 highlights Indigenous ceramics. Fired clay ceramics first appear in Maryland’s archeological record approximately 3,000 years ago. Ceramic production is an additive process where clay and temper are kneaded together and then the tempered clay is molded, shaped, decorated, and fired. The clay firing facilitates the long-term preservation of ceramics in the archeological record, thus establishing ceramics as a key source of information for learning about Indigenous peoples in Maryland over the last 3,000 years.

We invite you to join Governor Moore in celebrating April as Maryland Archeology Month, and to learn about Maryland’s Indigenous ceramics!

 

Visit the Maryland Archeology Month website at www.marylandarcheologymonth.org to download a printable high quality pdf of this year's poster. From this content-rich website you can also read essays highlighting ceramic cultural traditions across Maryland, pottery manufacturing techniques, replication experiments, and residue analyses. The booklet and website also contain information about year-round volunteer opportunities in archeology and special archeology events scheduled during the month of April. This website will be updated as new events are announced, so be sure to visit often!

» 2025 ARCHEOLOGY MONTH BOOKLET

For More Information

Printed materials are available on request; to request copies, or for more information, contact Dr. Zachary Singer, State Terrestrial Archaeologist, at zachary.singer@maryland.gov or 410-697-9544.

Be sure to follow our social media feeds for updates on Maryland Archeology Month events.