What is faience and how was it made?

What is faience and how was it made in the ancient world? How was faience coloured and what were its uses? How do archaeologists at the University of Liverpool examine it? Archaeologist Dr Juliet Spedding answers all of these questions in this online workshop.

To continue discussing this topic with your class try using the below worksheet questions (answers are at the bottom of the page). You can also download the worksheet questions and the 'What is faience?' presentation which includes the worksheet answers on the final slide. 

Worksheet questions

1) How long has faience been made?

a. 500 years

b. 2000 years

c. 5000 years

2) Faience was made to imitate__________ like ________ and _________.

3) What is faience made of?

a. Silica

b. Lime

c. Soda

d. All of the above

4) The ancient craftsmen needed to have a good knowledge of ______ to make faience.

5) What do you need to add to get yellow coloured faience?

6) What are the names of the different layers in a faience object?

7) What have archaeologists done to work out the different production methods for faience?

8) What are the names of the three glazing techniques of faience?

9) What are the two types of examination that can be done on faience to work out the glazing method?

10) What type of examination would you use to identify application glazing?

11) What constitutes a technological choice by the ancient craftsmen?

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Worksheet answers 

Question 1) c. 5000 years.

Question 2) Semi-precious stones, turquoise, lapis lazuli.

Question 3) d. All of the above.

Question 4) Pyrotechnology.

Question 5) Lead.

Question 6) Body/core, interaction, glaze.

Question 7) Experimental archaeology.

Question 8) Application, cementation, efflorescence.

Question 9) Visual, chemical.

Question 10) Visual.

Question 11) Glazing method, colour, appearance of the surface, use of raw materials