During the firing process, the clay pot is transformed into ceramic material which is almost indestructable. The following graphics are from drawings made by various artists working in the field of archaeology. This is to give you an idea of the range of styles and sizes the pots are made in. Decoration tends to be local designs - but there are always exceptions.
Most pottery finds are 'sherds' or pieces of broken pots.
It can be quite a challenge to fit them together. Some of the finest decorations on pottery in Britain come from the area around Glastonbury in Somerset. Two villages have been excavated from the marshes, the first known as the Glastonbury Lake Village, and the second as the Meare Lake village. They are only 2 kilometres apart. This pot is one of the finest, with decoration known as Curvi-Linear, or Insular British.