What would pottery look like if it were discovered on Mars?

High school students tackled that question by combining planetary science and pottery craft in an imaginative and interdisciplinary STEAM project led by the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) from January to April 2025.

The “Martian Pottery Project” brought together researchers and students to envision a scenario where future Mars missions uncover ancient ceramics, prompting participants to explore how such artefacts might reflect Mars’ environment and a speculative culture.

The project sessions opened with two lectures: one on Mars’s geology and space missions and another on pottery’s science and cultural history.

These knowledge sessions introduced students to Martian soil properties, atmospheric conditions, and ancient pottery styles from Earth, laying a foundation for both scientific inquiry and artistic inspiration.

Participants were then divided into two focus groups with contrasting approaches. Focus Group 1 began hands-on work in the pottery lab, shaping forms based on initial inspiration. Meanwhile, Focus Group 2 engaged in guided discussions with professors, formulating hypotheses about what pottery might look like if made in Martian conditions.

In the next session, the groups switched: FG2 entered the pottery lab to realise their conceptual designs, and FG1 returned to the classroom for critical reflection and reinterpretation of their earlier work.

This dual approach—melding minds-on and hands-on learning—allowed students to explore clay not only as a material but as a means of storytelling, design, and scientific speculation. They applied design thinking to imagine tools for use in low gravity, speculated on clay chemistry and firings in a CO₂-rich atmosphere, and reflected on how culture and environment shape aesthetics and utility.

The workshop culminated in the final session, in which all groups came together. The project, led by Dr. Thilina Heenatigala (ELSI) and Dr. Giorgio Salani (School of Environment and Society), represents a model for interdisciplinary STEAM education.

By merging planetary science, materials engineering, art, and imagination, the Martian Pottery Project inspired students to think critically—and creatively—about our place in the universe and the traces we leave behind.

Acknowledgement: The project was supported by “Tokyo Tech Fund Project – STEAM Education for Younger Generations” and with partial support from AirTrunk.