Wildfires may have triggered the invention of ceramics 9,000 years ago

New research suggests that wildfires approximately 9,000 years ago may have triggered the invention of ceramics. A study led by Professor Amos Frumkin of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem indicates that Neolithic communities in the Jordan Valley might have observed how fire hardened clay after natural disasters.

By examining ancient sediments and charcoal remains, researchers found that a surge in ceramic production coincided with periods of forest fires and erosion. This has led to the ‘natural kiln hypothesis,’ which proposes that humans learned to mimic nature by intentionally burning clay to create durable tools and vessels. This technological shift occurred alongside the rise of agriculture on the eastern Mediterranean coasts.