A potter at work in Jaura, Madhya Pradesh, India. Pottery is defined by ASTM International as "all fired ceramic wares that contain clay when formed, except technical, structural, and refractory products". It originated during the Neolithic period.A potter at work in Jaura, Madhya Pradesh, India. Pottery is defined by ASTM International as "all fired ceramic wares that contain clay when formed, except technical, structural, and refractory products". It originated during the Neolithic period.