In this article two different pottery-making techniques, those of Gogol and Bilbil Yabob, both around Madang, will be introduced, and some issues relating to them, including the economic function of pottery-making and the genesis of Bilbil Yabob pottery-making, will be discussed. In the area stretching east of the River Gogol, traditional potteries are still made by local villagers. While Mair, Ouba, Gonowa and several other villages in the neighbourhood make the same type of pottery, the following explanation is based on the author's observation at Gonowa village, about 22 kilometers south-west of Madang. Gonowa potters build the vessel by a coiling technique. They do not use any tool in pot construction, except for a ring of leaves for supporting the pot, and a simple wooden or bamboo knife for decoration. As they do not know "paddling" or other relevant technigues, thers is virtually no way to adjust the distortion of the body. Accordingly, they make coils (70-80cm long, about 1-1.5cm in diameter) very carefully by rolling clay on the floor with the palm, and concentrate attention on building the body by laying round one coil upon another. Characteristic of the Gonowa pottery, and the Gogol pottery in general, lies in its conical and pointed bottom. Archaeologically speaking, this sort of pottery can be seen in the early Eurasian Continent and Jomon Japan. Arguments have been advanced as to why the bottoms of some early pots are conical and pointed. Some archaeologists say that this shape is suitable for cooking, others that it is convenient for carrying. Gonowa potters say that the conical and pointed bottom is desirable for stabilizing the pot with three stones placed in the triangular position when it is put on a fire for cooking. The other characteristic of the Gonowa pottery is that drying time for the vessel is extremely long. After the pot is built and decorated, it is first dried on the leaf ring in a shaded place for about two weeks. Then it is encircled by bark ropes and hung from the ceiling some 1.5 meters above the fireplace. It is dried there for more than one month. Accordingly, when the vessel is ready for firing, it is perfectly dry and covered with dust and soot stuck on the surface. Elimination of moisture from the clay appears to avoid cracking or destruction when the pot is fired. The Gonowa pottey-making technique can only be described as archaic. In comparison, villagers of Bilbil and Yabob, 2 and 5 km south of Madang respectively, produce one the most sophisticated pottery in New Guinea (MIKLOUCHO-MACIAY : 1975. MAAHS : 1949, TUCKSON : 1966). Pottery methods in these villages are almost the same except for some differences in decoration. Following is the explanation of the Bilbil pottery-making. Clay is obtained from a deposit situated some I km, west of the village. Before building the vessel, clay is formed into a rough circular cone and kept in a shaded place for several days. The pot is built by the paddle-and-anvil technique only. Before being fired, red clay obtained from Yabob village is dissolved in water and smeared on the exterior of the vessel to create a smooth and clearly red coloured surface. The pot is fired twice : firstly, over a small fire to prevent cracking during later processing ; then, about eight pots are fired at the same time over a big fire. After being lit, coconut leaves are put over the fire, covering all the pots. This raises the temperature. Bilbil pots are far harder than those of Gonowa.