A metal detector operator named Rob Middleton discovered a rare 2,000-year-old bronze spoon on private land in the parish of Patrick, Isle of Man. The object, dating back to the Iron Age, is the first of its kind found on the Isle of Man and is now exhibited at the Manx Museum on the western coast of the island.
The spoon is one of only 28 such spoons discovered in Europe. Iron Age finds are relatively scarce on the Isle of Man.
"Dating to around 400-100 BCE, this bronze spoon is one of the most intriguing objects ever discovered on the Island. Iron Age finds are relatively scarce, with bronze spoons dating to this period rare, making this find all the more remarkable," said Allison Fox, curator of the archaeological department at Manx National Heritages.
The spoon is distinctive, featuring a wide, strawberry-shaped bowl and a circular handle adorned with spiral designs. The bowl has two very lightly engraved lines that form a cross, intersecting at the deepest part and dividing it into four quadrants. While experts are not certain about the exact use of the spoon, researchers suggest it may have been used in divination rituals.
"Although it sounds quite simple, since we call it a spoon, in reality, it is an unusual find that probably suggests that a ritual activity was taking place on the Isle of Man," explained Fox.
Similar ritual spoons have been discovered in Britain, Ireland, and France. The British Museum has several metal spoons of this type, which are usually found in pairs: one with an engraved cross and one with a small hole. The ritual would consist of pouring a liquid such as water, beer, or even blood from the spoon with the hole onto the one with the cross.
"It has been hypothesized that liquid of the same form may have been poured into the spoon with the engraved cross, and depending on the quadrant it fell into, it would indicate an omen," stated Fox, according to Gizmodo. "Depending on where it fell in the quadrant formed by the lines, that would indicate something about the future. But the details of such ceremonies have been lost in time," she added.
During the Iron Age on the Isle of Man, approximately 500 BCE to 500 CE, people lived in small communities, often in wooden or stone huts called roundhouses. The period is also known for the use of fortifications on the summits of South Barrule and Cronk Sumark, as well as smaller walled enclosures around the coast.
Middleton and the landowner, David Anderson, donated the bronze spoon to the Manx National Collections at the Manx Museum. They had previously found other artifacts over the years that they donated for research.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.