Roman pottery: See how it's made

Pompeiians were famous for feasting on fabulous food. How did they store and serve their tasty treats? Watch these short video clips to see how an amphora, a Roman jug of clay, is made. You could even try making one yourself!

Wedging Preparing the clay before you start your amphora is really important. It's a bit like kneading dough, and you need strong arms!	Centring your clay Make sure that your clay is firmly sitting in the middle of your wheel. That means it won't jiggle about when you are working with it.
Forming the base The base of your amphora needs to be solid, in order to hold all your goodies. Also, if your base is formed properly, you won't get any nasty cracks in it when your amphora is fired in the kiln.	Building the walls Keep your fingers the same width apart as you create your walls. If you don’t, the walls could become uneven and your amphora would become a funny shape!
Trimming the amphora By trimming off the excess clay, your amphora will not only look good, it will dry properly too.	Finishing See how carefully you need to finish off the amphora to make sure it is just the right shape.
Attaching the handles The handles have to be put on with great care so that they form a strong bond with the amphora. You wouldn’t want your handles to fall off!