We know little of the way these early Neolithic people lived but privileged members
of society were buried in spectacular stone tombs built throughout the 4th millennium
and used for both ritual and burial purposes for many generations.
Cashtal yn Ard (Maughold) and King Orry's Grave (Laxey) both have trapezoidal
mounds with a long chamber whilst Meayll (or Mull) Circle, which gives its name to
this period on Mann, had during its main period of use a round mound with six
separate chambers.
Changes in society around 3200 BC throughout the British Isles appear to have
resulted in a relatively insular way of life for the later Ronaldsway farmers. A
number of homestead sites are known including the first, at Ronaldsway, discovered
whilst lengthening the Airport runway.
The dead were now customarily cremated and buried individually, often with a pot
to accept offerings, sometimes in mounds as at Killeaba (Ramsey) or in cemeteries
as at Ballateare (Jurby) near the later Viking burial mount.
New Technology
Metalworking was introduced to the British Isles well before 2000 BC when
bronze, which traditionally gives its name to the period, became the principal metal
for making tools and weapons. The emergence of a new hierarchy and rapidly changing
styles of metalwork and pottery indicate a period where access to exotic goods and
fashion were important. Production of copper, the major constituent of bronze,
probably started on the Island at this time.
Burials, both inhumations and cremations, sometimes in stone cists and in mounds
were often accompanied by fine hand built funerary pots up to around 1400 BC when
burial of human remains to appears to have ended. Mounds were often sited in
prominent positions such as at Cronk ny Arrey Laa (Rushen), Arragon Mooar (Santon)
visible on the skyline from the main Douglas/Castletown road and at the Corrody
(Lezayre) where a later Christian keeill has been built into the mound. Stone cists
are exposed at Chapel Hill, Balladoole and at St. John's where the road behind
Tynwald Hill has bisected the burial mound.
Bronze Age settlement sites are rare but include cooking place sites characterised
by large mounds of burnt stone as at Clay Head.
The latter part of the second millennium BC appears to have been a time of great
change and tension in society with weapon production increasing and settlements building
defences. It was probably at this time that construction of the large summit hill fort
on South Barrule began.
The Celts
In the Isle of Man as in the rest of the British Isle, except for the first
people, there is very little evidence for large scale migrations of people and new
ideas and fashions were almost certainly introduced by traders and travellers. By
the beginning of the first millennium BC the people may already have been "Celts"
in the sense that they spoke versions of Celtic languages.
The general use of a new widely available metal, iron, around 500 BC, a date which
traditionally marks the beginning of the Iron Age, gave more people access to metal
tools and weapons, although in Mann they are rare. Ores were mined and processed
including copper for making bronze.
The disruption to "Iron Age" Celtic society caused by the Roman occupation of
Britain had little direct impact on the Island and apart from the introduction of a
new religion, Christianity, Manx society hardly changed until the arrival of the
Vikings.
There are many types of settlement sites. Hillforts cover a wide range of
different types of location and date. South Barrule continued to be occupied into
the beginning of this period but the majority of sites were used by individual
families or small groups such as the low enclosed hills a Chapel Hill, Balladoole
and Ronaldsway and the coastal promontory forts at Cronk ny Merriu (Santon), Close
ny Chollagh (Malew) and Burroo Ned (Rushen). These appear to have been occupied
in the first few centuries BC/AD. The summit hillfort at Cronk Sumark (Lezayre)
is probably slightly later in date. Farmstead designs and dates also vary widely.
The most spectacular, up to 90 feet in diameter, as at Ballakaighen (Arbory) date
from the 3rd century BC into the new millennium AD.
Few late period sites are known apart from specialist metalworking sites such
as Port y Candas, south of Ballacraine.
Christianity arrives
Christianity probably reached the Island by 500 AD. Burial markers inscribed
in a simple, linear script called Ogham, indicate that the first contact may have
come from Irish communities in South-West Wales. Other notable influences came
from St. Patrick's Ireland and from Scotland - St. Columba and Iona and especially
St. Ninian's Church at Whithorn which continued to be a place of pilgrimage from
Man into the later medieval period.
Landmarks of Early Christianity
One very early preaching site survives at St. Patrick's Chair (Marown) possibly
the only one of its type outside Ireland.
The later Irish-type Round Tower of St. Patrick's Isle, Peel, is also one of
the very few such structures outside Ireland.
The sites of at least 170 Early Christian burial grounds ("rhullick" in Manx),
many with chapels ("Keeill" in Manx) are known. A few sites continue in use today
as Parish churches. The earliest keeills were probably built of turf, or wattle
and daub but the stone built structures remaining today probably date from the
9th century onwards. Good examples are at Chapel Hill, Balladoole; Glenlough
(Marown); Corrody (Lezayre) and Spooyt Vane (Michael).
Similar in date and style but probably different in function, are those surviving at
Lag ny Keeilley (Patrick) which is probably a hermitage, and the three within the
churchyard at Maughold. These three formed part of a Celtic monastery which was
important enough to have a Scriptorum, where books were copied. One of the
surviving inscribed stones relates to the monastery's water supply.
Christian Crosses
Inhumation in a lintel grave was sometimes marked by an inscribed grave marker.
Stones varying from simple crosses to magnificent wheel-headed designs with
carved interlace decorations can be seen at their respective Parish churches
alongside later examples dating from the Viking period.
Vikings!
Viking raiders are first recorded in the Irish Sea in 798 AD, and some 50 years
later they began to settle in the Isle of Man.
Evidence of the Viking era, from the earliest chieftains to the last Norse King,
abounds throughout the Island. The Vikings' popular reputation for plunder, rape
and pillage, tends to obscure the positive contributions they made in terms of
settlements and trading. Certainly their tenure enriched the development of the
Manx nation in many ways. The Manx governmental system with its open-air meeting
on Old Midsummer's day at Tynwald Hill is a living survival from this period.
The first pagan Vikings were soon converted to Christianity, probably as a
result of taking Manx Christian women as their wives. They continued the local
tradition of commemorating their dead with carved stone crosses, but enriched them
with Viking designs which included Norse stories (especially of Sigurd), and
inscriptions in Runic script.
The main Viking dynasty of Norse Kings of Man and the Isles was founded by
Godred Crovan following the battle of Skyhill in 1079 AD. He had been on the losing
side at the battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066 AD which marked the end of the Viking
period in England. The last of the Norse kings, Magnus, died at his Castle of
Rushen in 1265 AD.
Viking Landmarks
The first chieftain settlers were buried in hilltop mounds, some of which may
be seen against the skyline on the seaward side of the road between Ballaugh and
Bride, including one in the actual churchyard at Jurby. At Knock y Doonee (Andreas)
and Chapel Hill, Balladoole the chieftains were buried in boats.
Virtually positive proof of human sacrifice was discovered upon excavation of a
burial mound at Ballateare (Jurby) - the back of a young woman's head had been
sliced off before her burial in the top of the mound, and in the timber coffin
beneath her lay a chieftain with his weapons deliberately broken.
On St. Patrick's Isle, Peel a woman of high status had been buried in a
Christian cemetery together with her household accoutrements and a beautiful
necklace.
Many Celtic promontory forts were reoccupied in the Viking period. The fort
excavated at Cronk ny Merriu, Santon, has the remains of a very fine Viking-type
Long House and another house remains at the Braaid alongside the earlier prehistoric
building. There are also temporary "summer only" houses on mountain pastures
called "shielings" ("early" in Manx) as with the excavated examples at Block Eary
below the Mountain Road just north of Snaefell.
Information from the Department of Tourism, Leisure and
Transport.
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