"Pottery shards" refers to broken pieces of pottery or ceramic objects. It signifies fragments of something larger that have been shattered or fragmented. Full definition
A recent chemical analysis of 3,000 - year - old pottery shards in northern Honduras turned up traces of theobromine (its name means «food of the gods»), a chemical that is found in cacao. (discovermagazine.com)
The oldest fermented beverage known is a 9,000 - year - old rice and honey wine identified on pottery shards from the village of Jiahu in central China. (scientificamerican.com)
The oldest physical evidence comes from pottery shards in Iran that date back to 3500 b.c., but archaeologists such as Patrick McGovern of the University of Pennsylvania suggest that the first ale may have been produced as early as 7000 b.c. as a by - product of bread making. (scientificamerican.com)