I was #worldbuilding then came up with a #geology question - is it possible to get a good source of clay (useful for making ancient pottery) on a small island without rivers?
Like if the island was small enough that the only reliable source of water for the residents was trapping rain.
@floatybirb Hello fellow conworlder! So without rivers, you would be looking at clays that weathered in place. For weathering to happen, you need time and moisture.
I'm not sure what climate you envision for the island. Tropical climates tend to strip out all the silica through heavy rainfall, leaving kaolinite (perfect for pottery!).
If you are imagining something more arid or with seasonal summer dryness, then you might be out of luck.
@adam I am imagining a mediterranean climate, so dry summers are a thing. Although some mediterranean places made lots of pottery in the past, so maybe dry summers isn't a complete deal breaker.
I'm not sure if those pottery making places were usually small islands. Athens made lots of pottery but the islands in the Cyclades supposedly didn't have very good clay so they were more minimal about their pottery-ing.
@floatybirb For Mediterranean climates, I would imagine most clay formations would be associated with rivers or lakes (or locations with a history of having them). One route for clay formations could be a wetter climate in the past, leaving deposits of clay that persist into the current conditions.
There are examples of island-based cultures with distinct pottery cultures (like the Lapita pottery culture), in areas where you mostly just have limestone. (1/2)
Floaty Birb
Adam