Ceramics home: Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age: Collared urns.

Collared urns

(-2200 - -1400)

Collared Urns are one of a range of distinctive vessel types current during the early part of the Bronze Age. They are characterised by heavy collared rims atop straight - or slightly convex - sided bodies and flat, often disproportionately small, bases. They vary markedly in size and capacity.

Fabrics are grog-tempered and vessels usually have carefully-smoothed exterior surfaces. Decoration is confined to the collar and shoulder, and comprises twisted cord, whipped cord and sometimes comb impressions arranged in geometric blocs or herringbone fashion. Collared Urns are widely distributed and essentially conservative in both form and decoration.

Many vessels were used to hold the ashes of the dead: their role in domestic contexts is more speculative, though the size-range is likely to have been significant. Those in the Museum's collection were recovered from various points along the Thames in west London, and from Ham Common near Petersham.

Related objects

There are 6 related objects.

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50 urn; collared urn. Early Bronze Age	66.31/1 urn; collared urn. Early Bronze Age	Z7003 urn; collared urn . Early Bronze Age	A13665 urn; collared urn . Early Bronze Age
C939 urn; collared urn . Early Bronze Age	62.45 urn; collared urn. Early Bronze Age

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