Provides a brief introduction to the use of thin sections and the petrological microscope to investigate ceramic technology, pointing out the limitations and advantages of the technique. Because it is a destructive method, it should be used only after binocular microscopy. The author discusses the preparation of thin sections as a method to determine various aspects of ceramic technology, including: clay preparation, manufacture, coil or ring building, wheel throwing, surface decorations, incision and impression, slip, smudging, mineral coatings and burnishings, and glazes.