Most American pottery was made by coiling, which may be related to ancient basketmaking methods. In this technique, a coil is rolled and shaped into a base, and the walls are built up from there. The ...

Until the first century BC, British pots were hand-made by coil- or slab-shaping. Clay was mixed with 'temper' such as sand or crushed pottery, which reduced shrinkage and cracking on drying.