Recapturing the Spirit in Ancient Cooking Pots

Abstract

Cooking pots have been important in understanding ancient social and technological environments. In Ghana, the traditional cooking pot is a common sight in most rural communities; same can however not be said in the urban areas. This study thus revisits the traditional cooking pot, investigating its physical characteristics and its relevance in the modern Ghanaian society. The study was descriptive, using primary data collected from 222 respondents selected from selected pottery centres in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the data collected from the respondents with the help of the statistical package SPSS (version 22). The study established that the earlier techniques used in developing the traditional cooking pots stood the rigorous demands on their materials’ durability, making them survive for several centuries as evidenced by some archeological findings of early pottery products. The study also established that the ancient cooking pots had better fracture strength with higher ability to survive impact. It was observed that ancient cooking pots had better thermal conductivity and demonstrated higher skill level. However, the study observes that the traditional cooking pots have reduced in both purpose and symbolism and subsequently reduced in current usage. The study identifies the traditional cooking pot’s weak aesthetic appeal as a main factor driving its dwindling relevance. The study recommends the need for the pottery industry as a whole to be developed through a systematic integration of an improved quality of the various class of pottery product into societal demands and deliberately positioned to attract the needed patronage across the various societal engagements and needs.

Keywords: Pottery, Cooking Pots, Clay

DOI: 10.7176/ADS/97-03

Publication date: December 31^st 2021