Slavic ceramics and primary shape: morphology knows a variety of forms, however, the jar with double-conical form is omnipresent throughout the chronological sequence of this group of ceramics. It can be said, with a measure of certainty, that this form represents the primary pattern onto which other patterns have evolved in the course of time. Kempke (2001) noted that the form came into existence in the Early Slavic period (from ca 7th c. AD onwards), were the mainstay in the Middle Slavic Period (ca 10th c. AD), and lost their importance gradually during the Late Slavic Period (from ca. 11th c. to 13th c.).
- Jars are the most common form of Slavic ceramics. The jar type displays different shapes: most are fully-bodied with proportionate incurving walls, others are more elongated reminding the shape of an egg, while others display a sharp angle between the lower and the upper body similar with the letter S. Others, called thick-rim jars, have their walls thickened at the mouth, while others, called neckband jars, have an incurving band just below their thickened rim. If the incurving is not applied, then the jar becomes a collared-rim jar, which combine the thickened rim with a flat collar. If the neck continues straight upward to the end of the lip, then the jar can be classified as the cylindrical-neck jar. If the potter worked thickened bands at different heights of the vessel's body, then this form can be called the plastic-band jar type.
- From the end of the Middle Slavic Period, jars came with covers that fit their rims perfectly through a special forked-edge. The exterior of these covers were usually decorated with the same pattern as the jar, and this category came to be known as the lid-covered jars.
- Bowls came also in various shapes; the conical form with a large mouth being the most common.
- Small bowls with their flared walls seemingly form a category by themselves, although the separation criteria are based primarily on size.
- Plates are easy to recognize, although they vary in shape, size, and presence/absence of additional features, including decoration.
- Cups are also found, although they were most common in Eastern Germany and Poland.
- Bottles are rare, and resemble an elongated and compacted jug basically, but nonetheless they seem to form the most homogeneous category with minimal external decoration.
