Pots from very ancient Jericho at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. It was Kathleen Kenyon's excavations at Jericho that opened up what many thought was a closed, legendary subject. (Photo by M. Markowski)

Not all pots are the same. Some reflect sheer beauty (e.g., Shang Dynasty Ritual Vessels, 13th Century B.C.), while some do chores, as these pots from Jericho probably did. Still, what do you think? Do they look as primitive as the date might suggest?