<p>I'm not sure this is the best place to ask. </p>

<p>Ground-up shell means just that - shells that have been ground (reduced to small particles or powder by crushing it). </p>

<p>Shell tempering is one of the hallmarks of Mississippian cultural practices. It is often characterized by the adoption and use of riverine, usually mussel shells, (or more rarely marine) shell-tempering agents in the clay paste. </p>

<p>Read more here: <a href="https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Shell%20tempered%20pottery&amp;item_type=topic" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Shell%20tempered%20pottery&amp;item_type=topic</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-05T15:06:26.693Z
Ahh, I see now, so it's a man-made material (by grinding), not a raw product. Sorry, I thought it's a natural material.
Fructibus
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-05T13:43:41.117Z
2017-10-05T13:43:41.117Z
Tom Newton
<p>The archeologists use the term <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=D1HfCwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA51&amp;lpg=PA51&amp;dq=%22ground-up%20shell%22&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=VW7Z3fNJ87&amp;sig=QTWEPhWMzfrWwOpkMr6REm_4IsY&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjW9dqmudnWAhUiD8AKHXvkBCwQ6AEISzAH#v=onepage&amp;q=%22ground-up%20shell%22&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">"ground-up shell"</a> to designate a type of temper used for pottery. What is this material? Earth containing fossilized mollusk shells? I noticed the term is also used in <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=qTliDAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT589&amp;lpg=PT589&amp;dq=%22ground-up%20shell%22&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=72bDqFWJvD&amp;sig=buq0s7jZyX8gmO4XqwUbw3D9j-c&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjW9dqmudnWAhUiD8AKHXvkBCwQ6AEIPjAE#v=onepage&amp;q=%22ground-up%20shell%22&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">texts about oysters</a>.</p>

<rocks>
What is the definition of "ground-up shell"?
Fructibus
# What is the definition of "ground-up shell"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-10-05)

The archeologists use the term ["ground-up shell"](https://books.google.com/books?id=D1HfCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA51&lpg=PA51&dq=%22ground-up%20shell%22&source=bl&ots=VW7Z3fNJ87&sig=QTWEPhWMzfrWwOpkMr6REm_4IsY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjW9dqmudnWAhUiD8AKHXvkBCwQ6AEISzAH#v=onepage&q=%22ground-up%20shell%22&f=false) to designate a type of temper used for pottery. What is this material? Earth containing fossilized mollusk shells? I noticed the term is also used in [texts about oysters](https://books.google.com/books?id=qTliDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT589&lpg=PT589&dq=%22ground-up%20shell%22&source=bl&ots=72bDqFWJvD&sig=buq0s7jZyX8gmO4XqwUbw3D9j-c&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjW9dqmudnWAhUiD8AKHXvkBCwQ6AEIPjAE#v=onepage&q=%22ground-up%20shell%22&f=false).

**Tags:** rocks


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-10-05. Score: 2

I'm not sure this is the best place to ask.

Ground-up shell means just that - shells that have been ground (reduced to small particles or powder by crushing it).

Shell tempering is one of the hallmarks of Mississippian cultural practices. It is often characterized by the adoption and use of riverine, usually mussel shells, (or more rarely marine) shell-tempering agents in the clay paste.

Read more here: <https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Shell%20tempered%20pottery&item_type=topic>

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Ahh, I see now, so it's a man-made material (by grinding), not a raw product. Sorry, I thought it's a natural material.  

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