Prehistoric nail imprints

On the images, a hand formed pottery fragment from the Michelsberg culture, Middle Neolithic period(4300 - 3500 BC) is shown. The Michelsberg culture is responsible for some of the oldest types of pottery in Europe, which is seen as a typical element of this culture. This pottery is generally found on hilltops, giving the impression of the presence of former fortified settlements. This impression is reinforced by findings of many waste pits with very different content and interruptions in the trenches that are interpreted as gates.

‘Hand formed’ pottery means here that it was not wheel-made, but that it was built up out of clay rolls or slabs. This type of pottery is sober and even not decorated at all. It is gray-brown in color, with a coarse structure. The clay has been emaciated by the addition of coarse quartz grains and it was soft-baked. Emaciation is a term for the addition of ingredients to the potter's clay in order to prevent shrinkage and cracking during the baking process.

On this prehistoric potsherd nail imprints originating from the maker can be seen. It was found during an archaeological field survey in the neighborhood of Maastricht in The Netherlands.

Source: Jean-Paul Geusen, Thorn, The Netherlands