Storage Jar

Storage jars with narrow mouths, such as this example were probably used to hold wine and oil so as to minimize evaporation. Wider-mouthed jars contained grains, fruits, and vegetables. Both types were quite common in Iron Age homes and storerooms, but were rarely found in tombs. Because their bottoms are pointed, they probably were placed on pottery stands. The heavy white incrustation on this jar, made of calcium carbonate (limestone), is frequently found on artifacts from Israel and is the result of the chemical make-up of the soil and its interaction with water.