Iron Age divination spoon found on the Isle of Man

An Iron Age bronze spoon believed to have been used to foresee the future has been unearthed in the parish of Patrick on the Isle of Man. It is one of only 28 examples of this type of spoon known in the world, and the first of them to be discovered on the Isle of Man.

The spoon has a broad strawberry-shaped bowl with spiral designs on each side of the base like tiny leaves. There are two engraved lines that intersect in a cross at the deepest part of the bowl. The handle is circular with a semi-spherical bump in the center.

Allison Fox, Curator for Archaeology for Manx National Heritage said:

“Dating to around 400-100 BC, 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. 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 spoons are usually found in pairs, and it has been suggested that liquid of some form would have been poured into the spoon which has the cross, and whatever quarter it landed in would tell something about the future. The details of such ceremonies have been lost in the midst of time.

The spoon was found by metal detectorist Rob Middleton on private land belonging to farmer David Anderson on the west coast of the island. The finder and the landowner have donated the spoon to Manx National Collections. As of Valentine’s Day, it is on permanent display at the House of Manannan, a museum dedicated to Man’s history near the find site.

* This article was originally published here