Olive Jar Ceramics from the Eagle Ridge Site (25sy116) in Eastern Nebraska: Booty from the Villasur Expedition?

Abstract

The battle between the Spanish and French and their native allies figured on the Segesser hide paintings contributed to ending the eastward expansion of Spanish exploration in North America. While the battle that took place somewhere near the confluence of the Loup and Platte Rivers on August 14, 1720 is illustrated on contemporary buffalo hide paintings and described in contemporary documents there has been no physical evidence precisely where the confrontation took place nor have any objects associated with the fight have ever been discovered. The 1996 excavation of the Eagle Ridge site (ca. 1700–1750) in eastern Nebraska recovered ceramics from one or more olive jars of Spanish origin. These ceramics likely represent booty from the 1720 conflict.