In the Lusatian (Bronze Age) and Pomeranian (Iron Age) cultures, burial urns could have a decorative twist: faces, sometimes with carefully modeled ears and even earrings. Some were simple, with a bowl turned over as a lid, and others were shaped more like a sculptural bust, with a dedicated “hat.” Ashes might be accompanied by a small cup or bowl, or bronze implements or jewelry.
Where they are found
Present-day Poland and eastern Germany.
How they are made
- Kilns were rare; firing was probably in a shallow pit piled with a material like wood
- Built by hand, not on a wheel
The original object
- Shown above, on the left
- Appears to be made of a darker clay as well as showing surface effects from wood firing
- Resides in a private collection
- Dated to the Bronze Age (1300 to 700 BCE)
- Sold with the remains in place
My copy
- Shown above, on the right
- Urn built using clay coils
- Lid and face hand-modeled
- Used a paddle for shaping
- Surface smoothed with a stone
- Decorated with a shaped stick
Modern choices
- I used an electric kiln, so to get the blackening effect, I used pigmented clay “wash.”
- To make it sturdier for travel, I used commercial stoneware clay, fired at high temperature.
- I made the decorations more regular and deeper.
More of these urns
Admittedly, this example is a little unusual. Many of these urns have a more rounded base and shorter neck. But for centuries we see essentially this face peering out of them, although some later examples drop the eyebrows for a more surprised look. (Line drawings from Dzięgielewski, 2017)
Sources
Dzięgielewski K. Chapter 8: Late Bronze and early Iron Age communities in the northern part of the Polish Lowland (1000-500 BC). In: Bugaj U, ed. The Past Societies. Polish lands from the first evidence of human presence to the early Middle Ages. Volume 3: 2000-500 BC. Warsaw, Poland; Instytut Archeologii i Etnologii PAN. 2017:295–340.
Finch and Co. Bronze Age Lausitz ‘Urnfield’ culture pottery cinerary urn. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://www.finch-and-co.co.uk/artwork-detail/813697/0/bronze-age-lausitz-urnfield-culture
Jeffra C. Crafter: potting techniques of the Bronze Age. Exarc. 2019:1. https://exarc.net/ark:/88735/10400
Łaciak D. Creating the so-called graphite-coated pottery of the late Bronze and early Iron Ages: An experimental approach to manufacturing prehistoric pottery. Archeologické Rozhledy. 2023:75(1):7-23. https://doi.org/10.35686/AR.2023.2
Thér R, Gregor M. Experimental reconstruction of the pottery firing process of Late Bronze Age pottery from north-eastern Bohemia. In: Scarcella S, ed. Archaeological Ceramics: A Review of Current Research. Oxford, UK; Archaeopress. 2011:128-142.