Earthenware clays are also secondary clays, and are many and various. This is the most common clay type used in the pottery recovered from archaeological excavations from the Neolithic to the late medieval period. The potter would choose the best clays and adapt it for the task ahead. Some vessels needed to be fireproof, others non-porous. The manufacturing processes were complex and each stage presented a design choice.
Vessels thrown on a wheel have the potential to be more symmetrical than if handmade.
Handles and spouts often reflect the personal technique of an individual potter. Following its abandonment at the end of the Roman period, the potter's wheel was reintroduced from the eighth century onwards, enabling the potters to meet the needs of the growing urban communities. As late as the nineteenth century, however, some country potters continued to build their pots by hand. Decorative motifs may reflect the environment familiar to the potter, a family trademark or a reference to the intended use. They may also indicate social hierarchies, group identities or social status of the perceived consumer.