Ceramics of indigenous peoples of the Americas
The clay body is a necessary component of pottery. Clay must be mined and purified in an often laborious process, and certain tribes have ceremonial protocols to gathering clay. Different tribes have different processes for processing clay, which can include drying in the sun, soaking in water for days, and repeatedly running through a screen or sieve. Acoma and other Pueblo pottery traditionally pound dry clay into a powder and then remove impurities by hand, then running the dry powder through a screen, mixing it with a dry temper, and then mixing water to create a plastic paste. In preparing the clay, potters spend hours wedging it to remove air pockets and humidity that could easily cause it to explode during firing. The clay then needs to "cure" over time.
Slănic mine
Slănic mine is an old salt mine, located in Slănic, Prahova County, Romania, just 100 km north of Bucharest. The salt mine is closed for extraction purposes, but is open for visitors, featuring a microclimate with natural air-conditioning and constant temperature and atmospheric pressure throughout the year. It is made up of two levels, named "Unirea" and "Mihai". Many of the visitors come for its supposed healing effects due to the purity of the air. Throughout the mine you will find various types of equipment for recreational activity such as playground equipment and some ping-pong tables. One area is sectioned off and is being used for medical patients with lung cancer to come and rest. The main elevator shaft is unique in that it has no metallic parts due to rust. After an elevator accident in 2014, minivans are used to spiral visitors up and down.