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Hide Glue / No metal pot !!??

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richardzane:
yep, shell turns to lime in an oxidized atmosphere.... it will pit. so also will any gypsum crystals (fired ,they turn to plaster)
all earthenware pots are porous. Burnishing the interior with a stone helps, but they're still porous. water will seep through.
BUT, if you grease the interior of a burnished pot, you'll have MUCH better holding and much less seeping through.
when you cook with an earthen pot you must keep the pot from boiling dry..if the liquid is gone the fire WILL likely crack the pot.

JW_Halverson:
Iowabow was telling me how he believes the burnished interior was improved by cooking greasy foods in the pot at first to "season" it. 

Many ABO cooking methods require you to watch the pot, so to speak.  Same happens when using a paunch pot or hide pot.

richardzane:
yes, the grease helps, just like seasoning a cast iron skillet.
In New Guinea there's indigenous potters who cook a stew in a new pot, and throw it out, saying the first stew is no good.
I've made special pots for use for Navajo friends who need them for a ceremonial "sing". I grease the insides with olive oil .
(here's a pic of one I made for that purpose.)
Contemporary Navajo potters tend to use pinion pitch to seal their pots and for simply holding water this is fine.
BUT when cooking a stew, the pitch simply melts and collects in the bottom in a sticky mass and doesn't help the taste at all.

Ed Brooks:
Can you use a skull to make the glue in?

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