Talking Pots on Ologies: Clay, History & Archaeology with Alie Ward 😲

Graham and I were absolutely thrilled to be invited onto the award-winning podcast Ologies, hosted by the brilliant Alie Ward!

Alie is a presenter, science communicator and storyteller whose work has featured on Netflix, HBO, Amazon Studios and more – so what an honour it was to join her for such a lively and inspiring conversation about the history of pottery.

To celebrate the 8th anniversary of her knowledge-packed podcast series, Alie invited us to dive deep into the world of clay, ceramics, archaeology and history. And what a conversation it was! Alie is warm, funny and endlessly curious – an absolute delight to talk to. Of course, we might be slightly biased in thinking our episode is the best 😀, but truly every episode of Ologies is a treat for anyone who loves learning.

Over the course of our chat, we covered a wide range of questions that potters, archaeologists and history enthusiasts often ask, including:

• How do you spot clay in the wild?
• What were the very first ceramic objects ever made?
• Why do pots sometimes explode in the kiln?
• What can ancient pottery reveal about our ancestors?
• What exactly is glaze, and what surprising ingredients can go into it?

We also touched on goddess figurines, the legacy of earthenware, and even the ways pottery connects us across time and culture.

You can listen to the full episode now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.