Crude terra-cotta female figurines were uncovered by archaeologists in
excavations of
Mohenjo-daro and Harappa,
the two large urban
sites that tell about
the Indus Valley period
(3000-1500 B.C.E.) in
Hindu history. Along
with phallus-shaped
stones, these suggest
some sort of fertility
cult and a belief in a
Mother Goddess.
In chemistry, pieces of
terra cotta are used as
a heterogeneous catalyst
to "crack" long-chain
alkanes. This process is
useful for obtaining
more useful products,
such as gasoline or
petrol, from less useful
ones, such as highly
viscous long chain
alkanes.
