Ozengell Collection Purchase
The Kent Archaeological Society is delighted to announce its recent acquisition of the Ozengell
Collection, a nationally important assemblage of Anglo-Saxon grave goods of jewellery, glass, pottery, metalwork and weaponry.
Dr Andrew Richardson, director of Isle Heritage CIC and an expert on Anglo-Saxon cemeteries in Kent, said, “this important collection of finds come from nearly 200 graves excavated between 1977 to 1981 at Ozengell, near Ramsgate. This cemetery dates primarily to the sixth and seventh centuries AD when Kent was one of the wealthiest kingdoms in the British Isles, able to draw on extensive international networks that brought exotic goods and materials from across Europe and as far as the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The finds in the collection reflect this rich heritage, with high-quality jewellery manufactured in east Kent found alongside imported goods from Europe, Africa and southern Asia.”
The site at Ozengell was first identified as a burial ground of the early Anglo-Saxon period in 1845 when a railway cutting was dug through the site, close to the Lord of the Manor public house.
Perhaps 50-80 burials were disturbed then, with little proper recording, though a range of finds found their way into museum collections.
The overall cemetery is believed to number several hundred burials, and it is perhaps one of the largest and most important such sites to have been excavated in Kent. Unfortunately, to date, no thorough assessment of the finds or records of the site has been possible.
Kerry Brown said, “By securing ownership of this important collection and the associated site records, the Society has ensured the preservation of the archives of one of Thanet’s, and Kent’s, most important archaeological sites. Future generations will be able to see and study this collection, enabling further publication and interpretation of this important cemetery. By their actions, the officers of the
KAS have secured a vital piece of Kent’s past.”
Dr Elizabeth Blanning, Curator for the Society, added, “we wish to extend our thanks to the vendor for agreeing to the sale, and Alice Bailey of Roseberys auction house for her help in ensuring the collection was sold to an institution”.
The Society has one of the country’s most significant collections of Anglo-Saxon material, providing a fitting home for the Ozengell Collection, ensuring that this important assemblage is kept together, properly conserved and made available for study to realise its potential.
[Images reproduced with the kind permission of Roseberys London]
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Fig 1: Anglo Saxon Glass Vessels
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Fig 2: Anglo Saxon Pottery and Bronze Age Accessory Vessels
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Fig 3: Selection of Anglo Saxon Jewellery and Accessories