World · Europe · 2 hrs ago
Viking-Age Finds on Isle of Man May Point to a Double Burial
Metal detectorists Daniel Crowe and Rhett Britton found Viking-era objects on the Isle of Man, including brooches, a sword and an axehead.
The items date to about A.D. 900 and were declared treasure for their historical and archaeological significance.
The finds include jewelry often linked to women and a sword often linked to men, leading experts to consider whether the objects came from a shared grave.
The sword appears to have been deliberately broken as part of a burial ritual, although some damage may have happened later.
The discovery could reveal more about early Scandinavian settlers on the island, including their customs and daily lives.
The site was disturbed over time, so it is also possible that the objects came from two separate graves.
Further research may help clarify where the objects came from and who owned them.
Metal detectorists Daniel Crowe and Rhett Britton uncovered Viking-Age objects on the Isle of Man that may point to a rare double burial.
The finds, dating to about A.D. 900, include three bronze brooches, a broken sword, an axehead, trading weights and scales, and a bronze ladle.
Experts say the mix of jewelry typically associated with women and a sword typically associated with men could indicate a grave shared by two people.
The objects may instead have come from two separate graves, as the sites were disturbed over the past millennium.
Manx National Heritage is studying the finds, including the sword, which was examined using X-ray analysis.
- Who
- Metal detectorists Daniel Crowe and Rhett Britton uncovered the objects; Manx National Heritage is studying them.
- What
- Viking-Age objects may indicate a rare double burial, though they could also come from two separate graves.
- When
- The objects date to about A.D. 900. The discovery date is not stated.
- Where
- The Isle of Man.
- Why
- The objects may shed light on early Scandinavian settlers and the people who owned them.
Double-burial interpretation
Separate-graves interpretation
What the finds indicate
Double-burial interpretation
The mix of jewelry typically associated with women and a sword typically associated with men may come from a grave shared by two people.
Separate-graves interpretation
The objects may have come from two separate graves.
Context
Double-burial interpretation
The combination of objects has led experts to consider a double burial.
Separate-graves interpretation
The sites were disturbed at some point over the last millennium, leaving open the possibility of separate graves.
John Crowe and metal detectorist Craig Evans found a similar pair of brooches on the island.
The newly reported objects date to this period.
Researchers used X-ray analysis to study the sword.
- Location
- Isle of Man
- Date of objects
- About A.D. 900
- Brooches
- Three intricately carved bronze brooches
- Sword
- The thirteenth Viking sword uncovered on the Isle of Man
- Sword decoration
- Silver inlay and twisted silver wire on the hilt
- Brooch comparison
- Similar pair found on the island in 2018
What people are saying
This is an extraordinary discovery and one of the most significant groups of Viking Age objects found on the Isle of Man.
What makes it particularly exciting is the combination of finds, which gives us a rare opportunity to explore the lives of some of the Island’s earliest Scandinavian settlers
Although the original burial site has been disturbed, further research may reveal much more about these objects and the people who owned them