Fire-flame vessel: An exquisitely crafted 4,500-year-old pot from a mysterious culture in Japan

Filed by Elara Myst

Archaeologists aren't sure why prehistoric people in Japan made these elaborate vessels decorated with flames.QUICK FACTSName: Fire-flame vessel (ka'en doki)What it is: A decorated earthenware vesselWhere it is from: Honshu, JapanWhen it was made: Circa 2500 B.C.This ceramic vessel was made in prehistoric times on Honshu, the largest island in Japan. This type of pot is known as a fire-flame vessel ("ka'en doki" in Japanese), due to the stylized flames on the rim. Although other ...