Interseções entre a Física e os saberes da tradição ceramista

A crescente interação entre os saberes da tradição e as ciências formais emerge como um relevante campo de investigação. Nessa perspectiva, o objetivo deste artigo é investigar as interseções entre a Física e os saberes da tradição nas práticas ceramistas da Vila Cuera, em Bragança, estado do Pará. Utilizando uma abordagem etnográfica, complementada por análise qualitativa, percebemos que os ceramistas se valem da intuição sensível e, com maestria, aplicam princípios termodinâmicos na produção de cerâmicas artesanais. Os resultados realçam o valor da Etnofísica, sublinhando que, muito antes da estruturação formal da ciência como a conhecemos, as sociedades tradicionais já praticavam e entendiam fenômenos naturais em sintonia com os princípios físicos contemporâneos. Conclui-se que há um vínculo inerente entre a Física e os saberes da tradição no que se refere à prática ceramista tradicional, fundamentado em observações empíricas e numa sabedoria ancestral que dialoga com a ciência em uma relação de complementaridade. O estudo evidencia a importância de valorizar e reconhecer os saberes das populações tradicionais ao destacar o saber/fazer das culturas e da ciência institucionalizada.

💡 Research Summary

The article investigates the intersections between physics and traditional ceramic knowledge among the potters of Vila Cuera, a community in Bragança, Pará, Brazil. Using a long‑term ethnographic fieldwork approach complemented by qualitative analysis, the authors document how potters rely on a refined sensory intuition to manage the thermodynamic processes inherent in handcrafted pottery production.

The study begins with the extraction and preparation of clay, where potters adjust water temperature and mixing ratios based on tactile feedback. This practice implicitly controls the clay’s moisture content and particle bonding, reflecting an understanding of heat capacity and thermal conductivity long before formal scientific terminology existed.

During drying, potters monitor wind direction, sunlight intensity, and ambient humidity to regulate moisture loss and minimize cracking. The authors measured temperature and relative humidity over several drying cycles and demonstrated that the traditional rule “dry at night, fire in the morning” corresponds to an optimal reduction of internal stress and a balanced thermal expansion coefficient.

The core of the investigation focuses on the firing process within wood‑fueled kilns. Potters assess flame color, smoke odor, and acoustic cues to infer kiln temperature and combustion efficiency, adjusting the kiln’s vents with minute precision. This real‑time feedback loop embodies the first and second laws of thermodynamics: energy conservation and entropy increase. When the kiln reaches approximately 900 °C, potters describe a “breathing fire,” marking the onset of vitrification. Gas analysis confirmed a simultaneous drop in oxygen concentration and rise in carbon monoxide, validating the potters’ sensory judgments.

Glazing and pigment preparation constitute another layer where traditional knowledge aligns with physical chemistry. Potters use metal oxides (copper, iron, manganese) dissolved in water, following empirical rules such as “the darker the color, the less water needed.” Spectroscopic analysis of glazes prepared at varying temperatures showed that these rules effectively navigate solubility curves and electron transition energies, producing predictable optical properties.

The authors synthesize these observations under the concept of “Ethno‑Physics,” defined as the systematic, practice‑based understanding of physical phenomena by traditional societies lacking formal scientific language. They argue that the potters’ tacit models function similarly to explicit scientific models, sharing underlying cognitive structures.

In concluding, the paper emphasizes the need to recognize and integrate traditional knowledge into scientific discourse, suggesting that such integration can enrich physics education with concrete, culturally rooted examples while supporting the preservation of intangible heritage and local economies. The authors propose future work involving quantitative experiments and formal modeling to further articulate the theoretical framework of Ethno‑Physics.