The Kent Archaeological Society (KAS) has acquired the Ozengell Collection, an assemblage of Anglo-Saxon grave goods including jewellery, glass, pottery, metalwork, and weaponry, at auction. The artefacts were found during the 1977-1981 excavations of nearly 200 graves at Ozengell, near Ramsgate in Kent.
The burials date to the 6th-7th centuries AD, when Kent was one of the wealthiest kingdoms in Britain thanks to its close ties with the Continent – reflected in the Ozengell objects, some of which appear to have been imported from Europe, Africa, and southern Asia.
Commenting on the acquisition, Kerry Brown, President of the Trustees of KAS, 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.’
