1986.008.1106
Olive Jar
Physical Object
1986.008.1106
Nuestra Señora de Atocha (1622)
circa 1620
A bulbous, egg-shaped earthenware olive jar was carried on the 1622 galleon Atocha. A large portion of the side was damaged, likely because ceramic paste was not sufficiently dried before firing, and it blistered, with the exterior surface of the bubble broken away. This damage must have breached the jar because it was sealed and repaired in antiquity with resinous pitch. Other cracks and a broken, missing section are the result of the forces of the shipwreck. The term “olive jar” is a bit of a misnomer assigned to these vessels by a US archaeologist in the early 20th century: Though they could have carried olives, these amphoras more commonly carried wine, oil, and vinegar.