Silesian Collection

The Silesian Collection consists of late Bronze Age-early Iron Age objects, most of which are pottery vessels. They were discovered during excavations carried out under the supervision of Mr Emile Louis Bruno Clement (1884-1928) of Yateley Grange. Mr Clement was involved in a series of excavations in Silesia, including archaeological sites in the Neisse River area of Germany (Silesia) where these objects were unearthed. These objects were part of a larger collection of 200 pottery vessels that were split between various UK museums.

The objects were discovered about 3 miles from Muskau, in Silesa. Silesia is a historical region in central Europe that now covers parts of Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany. The site dates to the late Bronze Age-early Iron Age (1300 - 50BC in Silesia ). The burial urns were in most cases filled with cremated human bone. Some were covered with saucers and bowls, which is a characteristic feature of Silesian burials of this period.

In Silesia at this time the Lusatian pottery culture was dominant. The Lusatian culture existed in the later Bronze Age and early Iron Age in eastern Germany, most of Poland, parts of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and parts of Ukraine. The pottery after which it was named consisted of simple cups, bowls, vases, and jugs, without handles, but in a later phase with lugs or pierced lugs, bases, and necks.

Mr Clement sold collections of objects from the Muskau site to numerous British museums, among them was Reading Museum who purchased 49 of the objects from Mr Clement in 1885.

See related objects