Why is the method of making pottery by using coils of clay better than simply shaping the clay by hand?

For one thing, it helps give it added stability, as each coil is threaded onto the coil below it. Also, using the coiling technique, it is possible to build thicker or taller walled vessels, which may not have been possible using earlier methods. The technique permits control of the walls as they are built up and allows building on top of the walls to make the vessel look bigger and bulge outward or narrow inward with less danger of collapsing or cracking during firing.