Hi all, 

Wanted to throw out an artifact we're having some trouble with here at the Northern Mariana Islands HPO. 

The artifact is an apparent storage jar that was excavated during a development project at the harbor on Tinian.
Photos of it are here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rc1B2xlI6QOdHY3EQ_kFsxRzHc7Cwh9F?usp=sharing

The contractor identified it as a Japanese period jar (AD 1914-1944), but we've questioned this. 

It seems more likely it would be from the period of intermittent stops by European ships after contact (AD 1521–1668) or from the period of Spanish rule of the islands (AD 1668-1889). The problem is, the only Spanish storage jars we're really familiar with are from the early 17th century, which are not as finely made as this. 

Is anyone familiar with this type of jar or the stamp on it? We'd love to have any info about it we can get. 

Lucas Simonds
Historian / Archival Researcher
CNMI Historic Preservation Office
(670) 664-2124

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