They could take the kneaded clay, wrap it on the outside of the shards, and tap it down lightly with a wooden stick to make the clay more compact and solid. The stick would have patterns carved into it which would then be left imprinted on the clay. But this decorative effect, thinks Cheng, was probably secondary to the functional purpose of compacting the clay.
將揉好的陶土包覆在外，用木棒輕輕拍打，好讓陶土變得緊實；至於刻在木棒上的方格花紋，只是在拍打的「實用目的」之外附加的美觀效果罷了。