To understand past cultures archaeologists analyze many artifacts. Pottery proves to be of most importance to the archaeological record. Pottery is durable and even allows its broken fragments to withstand time, which would otherwise decompose other artifacts. More importantly, the style of pottery often changes through time, and shifts in shape, size, or decoration can be used to resolve the age of the artifact and/or site. Furthermore, though pottery is common, different cultures had their own distinct styles that can be used to determine its similarities or differences with one another. Therefore, even fragments of pottery can reconstruct many facets of past cultures.