Storage jar with attached concretion from the Hoi An shipwreck

Besides blue-and-white export wares, other ceramics were found on board that may have been intended for the crew’s use. These included a few Chinese, Thai, and Cham ceramics, as well as storage jars made in Vietnam. These utilitarian jars were unglazed and undecorated. On this example, a concretion has formed and become attached to the jar. Concretions are encrustations of material that have been cemented together by sea creatures and their remains (shells, etc.). Although this concretion is shaped like a bottle, an X-ray of the mass shows that it contains a knife or dagger handle and part of a blade.