Ceramics from neolithic to ancient times are analyzed. Special attention is paid to techniques of ceramic decoration. The ceramic bodies are mostly rich in calcium and are comparable to a lime earthenwarein chemical and phase composition. The technique of iron reduction and uses of manganese and carbon black are discussed. Bi-and polychrome decoration with Fe₂O₃ red is described. The composition of Mesopotamian, Cretan, and Grecian pottery is indicated by phase diagrams in the system SiO₂/A1₂O₃/(CaO + MgO). Diopside was found in most cases. Marly clay was preferred as a raw material. The evolution of ceramics is followed by observing unsintered, partly sintered, painted or glazed samples of different origins using electron microscopy. -- AATA