Pottery making is one of the oldest crafts invented by the human which was seen for the first time in Iran. Pottery making has a long history in Semnan province to the extent that some experts call this province “the capital of pottery making” in Iran. According to the research, the first pottery objects are related to ten thousand years ago and belonged to the inhabitants of Bakhtiari mountains. Based on the remained examples, potters were then unaware of something named pottery kiln and pottery wheel. The first traces of a pottery kiln are seen in the sixth millennium BC and we know that potters invented the wheel around 3500 years ago which had been moved by the hand. The pottery wheel made a great progress in this industry. Semnan had always been one of the centers of pottery making, while according to the archaeological findings, the most important area in this field is the Hesar Tepe, near Damghan city, with a more than six thousand years of history. Hesar artists followed the same ways of pottery making as other cultural centers of the time. Due to the presence of a high-quality soil and the desert climate of the region, pottery making is still important in this area. 

So that there are a variety of pottery and ceramic studios active in this province. In addition, the presence of many experienced and skillful masters made the region one of the pottery poles in Iran. The raw material of pottery making is clay which has different compositions depending on the region. The existence of the organic materials in the clay determines its quality. Ceramic products are usually made in different ways: 1. Coil method; 2. Slab method; 3. Pinch method; 4- Wheel throwing method. While coil, slab and pinch methods are more about the skill of the artist’s hands and their creativity, throwing artist needs to know how to use a pottery wheel. After making the main body, they are put in a kiln with a temperature of 900-1000 centigrade. The first products after this phase of firing are called biscuit which is prepared for glazing and painting. Semnan potters use the throwing, casting (pressing or casting slips) and handmade objects. They fire their products using traditional and electricity kilns. Other cities such and Shahroud, Garmsar and Damghan are also active in pottery making in the province.