Archaeology

Items

Find from Ballelby
A cross-slab (No.49) which is thought to be pre-Scandanavian and was found at the site of Keeill yn Chiarn chapel. It appears to be composed of altered clay schist.  It is now situated in the farmyard at Ballelby, set up against the gable of a barn at the house. The slab measures 87 x 28 inch, 4.5-5 inch thick. The inscribed cross is formed by five squares.
Find from Ballure, Albert Tower
The findspot of a late prehistoric artefact.
Find from Ballure, Albert Tower
The findspot of a late prehistoric spindle whorl.
Find from Banff Place
An unspecified find from Banff Place.
Find from Baroose
Alleged prehistoric 'scribed stones' found on Barroose ridge at 150 metres above sea level. The stones were collected by Mr J.F. Cowley and Mr Jno. Kelly and nearly twenty of them have been secured. One of these was unearthed on the ridge about 40 metres from the site of a cist.
Find from Begoade
The findspot of a flint axehead, measuring 14.6 centimetres long by 0.3 centimetres thick. The owner allowed P.M.C. Kermode to make a sketch of the implement.
Find from Bellellis
The find spot of a Neolithic hammer-stone or pounder found by C.H. Cowley in 'the field across the lane from the long field.'
Find from Berrag
The findspot of a late Bronze Age sword. The sword is leaf-shaped and had seven rivet holes at the top end. It was found at Berrag sometime between 1863 and 1882. PMC Kermode noted that some pottery may have been found with the sword. The sword is now kept at the Manx Museum (Accession No. 1954-0806).
Find from Bishops Demesne
The findspot of a large perforated sandstone axehammer, thought to be of Bronze Age date.
Find from Bishopscourt
The findspot of a probable Group VI polished axehead. It was found after ploughing by a Mr Callow and was in a good condition, apart from a chipped butt.
Find from Boirane, Ballelby
A Neolithic or Bronze Age pounder or hammer of pale grey quartzite, with an abraded end, found at Borrane in 1916. It is held at the Manx Museum, Accession No .1954-1426. Donated by Mr A Knox.
Find from Bradda Head
An Anglo-Saxon coin hoard consisted of hundred of silver coins found here is said to have been deposited circa 995.  The hoard was discovered circa 1848 by a labourer 'on the mountainous part of Bradda Head', 'lying near the surface, near a small hill, and being trodden upon by sheep... Found together in a sort of roll. No other articles were said to be found with them.' 'The bulk sold to a watch maker who melted them down.'  Coins from the hoard seen by Dickinson were all from the reign of Ethelred II (979-1016) and of 'crux' type. The 'remarkably perfect silver coin of the reign of Ethelred II... found in the Parish of Rushen', and then in possession of Mr McMeiken, of Castletown, probably came from this hoard.  Only seven coins survive of this major hoard but from a combination of available sources Dolley has concluded that 'the Wessex element is dominant' although there is a 'significant admixture of coin from northern England'.  Dolley further concluded that the Bradda Head hoard corroborates the suggestion the Olaf Tryggvason's return to Norway after he had made peace with Ethelraed in 994/5 was by way of the Irish Sea; the hoard seemingly derived in part from the Danegeld then paid.
Find from Braddan
The findspot of an undated jet artefact.
Find from Braddan Camp
The findspot of an unspecified Bronze Age artefact.
Find from Braddan Churchyard
The findspot of a small triangular fragment of slate bearing runes and reminiscent in style of 'Hrossketil's' cross (see No 138), found in the old churchyard by E Bakka in 1965. It measures 25 centimetres x 13 centimetres x 2.5 centimetres.  It is recorded as Manx Cross No. 176 and is kept in the Manx Museum.
Find from Braddan School
Undated worked stone. A shaped stone, possibly a mould,was found in the gravel of the school playground in 1940. There is no further indication of the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the object, which may have been imported to the site; the adjacent land to the NW was for a time used as a sand and gravel pit. The grid reference refers to the centre of the school grounds as defined at the time of the find. The object is in the Manx National Heritage collections, accession no. 1954-5287.
Find from Braust
The findspot of a looped and socketed axehead of Late Bronze Age date found before 1877. It has four vertical ribs on each face and a single internal rib on the two broad faces. It is now kept in the Manx Museum (Accession No. 1954-1221).
Find from Broughjairg Mooar
The findspot for an unspecified Bronze Age artefact.
Find from Castletown, Bowling Green Road
A Neolithic or Bronze Age artefact found in Bowling Green Road, Castletown.  It is part of the Ballakermeen collection and thought to be an exotic artefact. The grid reference indicates the mid-point of Bowling Green Road.
Find from Chapel Hill, Balladoole, pottery, sherd
A pottery sherd discovered at Balladoole.
Find from Close ny Chollagh
A stone axehead, possibly Neolithic, was found in the drain of an Iron Age roundhouse during excavations within the Close ny Chollagh fort. It was unstratified and out of context.
Find from Close y Garey
The complete skeleton of an elk was excavated here in 1897, in the area also known as 'Bill Sill's Curragh', from which Cowley collected flints. The skeleton was reconstructed for a museum display.
Find from Closeakewin, West Craig
The findspot of sherds of Late Medieval or post-medieval pottery, which probably originated from demolished buildings and a small ploughed-out enclosure recorded on the 1870 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey map (OS Field No. 2146).
Find from Closelake
The findspot of an unspecified Bronze Age artefact or artefacts found by a metal detectorists club.
Find from Closelake
The findspot of a Late Bronze Age hoard found in 1936 in ploughing the east corner of 'Abbeylands Intack' about 270 metres east-southeast of Close Lake Farmhouse. The finds included a looped palstave axe with plain faces and high flanges (Manx Museum, Accession No. 1954-3621) and a looped and socketed axehead with slender body, expanded blade and multiple mouth moulding (Manx Museum Accession No 3622). The objects were found within a few metres of each other and another axehead which is now lost.