Why are pottery and metal-working common?

Question:Why are these things common to all ancient civilizations?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Why are these things common to all ancient civilizations?

clay is cheap, widely available, easy to shape and rather easy to turn into a hard, water insoluble product if required.
Metal is hard to work, but there is no other substance which keeps a sharp edge as well. Whether it's for hunting, tool use (chopping trees) or war. If heated appropriately it can actually be shaped comparatively easily, but is of superior hardness to other materials like rocks. You will find rocks used instead of metal in cultures which have not yet discovered metal working technologies.

In summary I would say, both materials turned out to be very useful for a wide variety of tasks.
But you'll find also other things like cloth in every culture...

seriously?

Why are they common to modern civilizations? The answer is in part the same.

the only difference between modern and ancient would be that modern civilizations often spur alternatives due to aesthetic values

pottery was used for jars, pots, cooking things. pottery was nessicary to live. metal was used for a variety of things depending on the time. metal was used also for the same things as pottery, as well as weaponary, and tools, and furniture. how are they common they helped life achieve a luxurious status. they both helped life, they made it easier to live.