Jar

Accession Number1986.008.1108b

VesselNuestra Señora de Atocha (1622)

Datecirca 1620

DescriptionA flat-bottomed, wide-mouthed earthenware jar from the wreck of the 1622 galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha is of a type called an orza in Spanish. It is 23 centimeters tall. The interior of the jar is covered with a thick, dark glaze (perhaps a degraded green, lead-based variety). This jar came from what is believed to have been a chest owned by the galleon’s pilot, as it also contained navigational instruments, as well as silver coins and gold chain. Divers reported that the jar contained a foul-smelling substance, though what it was was never determined.