Ceramic Materials

Abstract

The term ceramics is derived from the Greek word “keramos,” which means “burn stuff.” History has not recorded the exact beginnings of ceramic art and the ceramics industry, but both most likely started thousands of years ago when early humans unknowingly sparked a new scientific field of interest—materials science. That happened when someone discovered that cooking a clay vessel permanently transformed it into something different, something rock-hard. There are many examples of ceramic ware from that early period because the durability of those rocklike materials allowed them to withstand the ravages of time.