Pottery is on of the oldest forms of crafts and arts, used for storing various goods to even pieces of jewelry, it turned a new page in human civilization as hunter-gatherer lifestyle was no longer appealing. Various pottery pieces in Lithuania date back all the way to Neolithic age (IV-III th. years B.C.) with high concentration in north and south regions due to abundance of rivers and in turn ancient settlements. There were only three types of shapes that were heavily used since everything was manufactured by hand. Later, wire pottery was discovered simplifying the process, pieces of this can be found in eastern Lithuania. All pieces of work were made by hand until a pottery wheel was invented. It took until 10th century before flywheels were widely implemented.
Black pottery is usually pottery cured in a low temperature (up to 1100 degrees C.) oven. Process involves heat treating pots slowly until the very end, at that point oven is filled with tar-rich pine wood and air intake is closed off. This leads to extinguishment of fire and production of black smoke from tar which gives pots their signature pitch black color. Black pottery was very popular in Prussia territory, many artefacts can still be found there. Pots was typically used for pagan celebrations and traditions, black urns were very popular and used to house the remains of loved ones. The height of popularity in the region was in the XIX century, slightly declining over the years however remaining consistent in recent times. Pots were known for their longevity, toughness and reliability, many of them were used to store food products. Due to their popularity, many pots were not decorated to save time in manufacture and to preserve their structural integrity. After second world war black pottery suffered a decline in popularity in Europe, however Lithuania managed to keep traditions alive. Today this craft can be experienced in Pelekiškės and Zakavoliai villages.