Olla

An olla is a ceramic jar, often unglazed, used for cooking stews or soups, for the storage of water or dry foods, or for other purposes like the irrigation[1] of olive trees.

Ollas have short wide necks and wider bellies, resembling beanpots or South Asian matki.

The Latin word olla or aulla (also aula) meant a very similar type of pot in Ancient Roman pottery, used for cooking and storage as well as a funerary urn to hold the ashes from cremation of bodies.

Among Southwestern Native American tribes, ollas used for storing water often were made with narrow necks to prevent evaporation in the desert heat.

The olla is used by the Kwaaymii people, among many others, for cooking, storing water, serving meals and even nursing infants.

[7] There are various methods to create them, but one of the easiest is to fill the bottom opening in an unglazed terracotta pot, bury it in the ground, and keep it topped up with water.

In the early 20th century, many ranches in the American Southwest used the practice of hanging an olla from a rope on the verandah in a shady, breezy spot.

[8] In addition to utilitarian purposes, ollas are also produced by Native American and Mexican potters as artistic works.