Experiments were carried out to test the effects of firing temperature on the fate of naturally occurring organic matter in clay. These results have important applications for the radiocarbon dating of archaeological ceramics. Experiments yielded quantitative measurements of carbon remaining in the ceramic after firing. Two commercial clay compositions were examined; low organic and high organic. Elemental analysis shows that carbon remained in ceramics fired at temperatures of 800-1000°C, well exceeding the maximum firing temperatures of most primitive techniques. Organic burnout is also dependent on the initial percentage of organics in the clay. Similar results for firings in oxidizing and nonoxidizing atmospheres suggest that organic burnout is not only a combustive process but also a pyrolytic one. -- AATA