A 2000 year-old bronze spoon believed to have been used for ‘telling the future’ has been discovered on land in Patrick.
The bronze spoon, dating to the Iron Age, was found by metal detectorist Rob Middleton on land owned by farmer, David Anderson.
MNH said that similar artefacts have been found in Britain, Ireland and France, but this is only the 28th example discovered worldwide, and the first from the Isle of Man.
Allison Fox, Curator for Archaeology said: “Dating to around 400-100 BC, this bronze spoon is one of the most intriguing objects ever discovered on the Island.
Rare
“Iron Age finds are relatively scarce, with bronze spoons dating to this period rare, making this find all the more remarkable.
“Although it sounds rather plain because we call it a spoon, it really is an unusual find illustrating potential prehistoric ritual activity taking place on the Isle of Man.”
The spoon has a broad, strawberry-shaped bowl and a circular handle with spiral designs.
It has two very lightly engraved lines forming a cross, with the lines meeting towards the deepest part of the spoon.
Although the exact function of the spoon is unknown, the leading theory is that it was used in divination rituals as our ancestors sought to predict the future.
The Patrick-Middleton spoon will go on display at the House of Manannan from Friday.
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