Dave,
I agree with Ron. This vessel is what we (meaning the Center for Spanish
Colonial Research) classify as an olive jar. These urns were used to
transport olive oil, honey and wine from Spain to the Internal Provinces
here in the New World.
What you hear rattling around may be an olive pit or two. :)
References:
Marken, Mitchell W. POTTERY FROM SPANISH SHIPWRECKS 1500-1800 (University
Press of Florida, 1994). Marken caught a lot of flack because he examined
olive jars from private collectors, but it is an extremely useful book. He
has a great bibliography.
Lister, Florence C., and Robert H. Lister. ANDALUSIAN CERAMICS IN SPAIN AND
NEW SPAIN: A CULTURAL REGISTER FROM THE THIRD CENTURY B.C. TO 1700
(University of Arizona Press, 1987). Excellent coverage.
Goggin, John M. "The Spanish Olive Jar: An Introductory Study," In PAPERS
IN CARIBBEAN ANTHROPOLOGY, vol. 62. Yale University Publications in
Anthropology, New Haven, 1960.
I have a lot of others if you need more help.
At 09:38 AM 2/23/2001 -0500, you wrote:
>In a message dated 2/22/01 2:02:44 PM Pacific Standard Time,
>[log in to unmask] writes:
>
><< I am soliciting help in the identification of a large ceramic jar or urn
>
> that a fisherman excavated from the lower intertidal zone of Cook Inlet,
>
> Alaska. I have posted some pictures and other details at
> http://www.alaska.net/~oha/urn/
> >>
>Dave, This urn looks suspiciously like the maritime oil transport jars used
>by Spanish merchants from the 15th through 18th centuries, which often got
>recycled as water jars here in California. The actual shapes varried because
>they were designed to be packed in cargo holds and as ballast. Spanish
>exploration of Alaska goes at least back to the Malaspina Expedition. Spain
>had a small cannon fort at Nootka. I suggest you pursue this line of
>research. Robert Lister published a number of articles and books on Spanish
>pottery, including storage jars. I suggest you arrange to have X-ray
>spectography or some other sourcing study on the clay to see if you can link
>it with known clay sources in Spain or Europe. You might check with Russell
>Skrowneck (spelling?) at the University of Santa Clara, California for
>guidance on this approach.
>
>Ron May
>Legacy 106, Inc.
>
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