Artifact of the Week: Soy Sauce Jug

Archaeologists recovered this Chinese imported soy sauce jug from Downtown San Diego. The site housed a working class population during the late Victorian period (c.1880-1915).

While they worked and lived in traditional American fashion, each immigrant group maintained ties to their own community. The variety of other artifacts found a the site give a glimpse into the reality of assimilation for immigrants and ethnic minorities. Chinese immigrants incorporated the traditions of their own culture into their new lives. Brownware jars, such as this soy sauce jug, that were used to import food show that they maintained ties to their homeland.

Date: Post-Contact Period (300 ya – present)
Material Class: Ceramic

Want to learn more? Visit the exhibit Block 112: The Untold Story of San Diego’s Working Class in the 1800s currently on view at the Center.