Type Name:

OLIVE JAR, GENERIC

Category:

UNGLAZED COARSE EARTHENWARE

Production Origin:

SPAIN

Production Date Range:

1490-1900

Defining Attributes:

Paste is usually buff to tan to light orange with heavy sand or grit tempering

Unglazed exteriors range from off-white to tan

Vessels can have a green lead glaze covering a portion of the vessel

Vessel Forms:

AMPHOROIDAL JAR

Comments:

This is a generic category of Olive Jar sherds which cannot be identified as being of Early, Middle, or Late Style. Olive jars, also referred to as tinajas, peruleras or botijas, were the ubiquitous storage and shipping containers for the Spanish American colonies, and evolved in shape and manufacturing technique over four centuries.

Published Definitions:

Deagan 1987; Goggin 1960; Marken 1994; Avery 1997