Contents List of figures ii List of tables xi List of contributors xiii Foreword Professor Sir David Wilson xv Editorial Dr P J Davey xvi Introduction P / Davey 1 The Manx Early Mesolithic: a story in stone SB Me Carton 5 Billown Neolithic Landscape Project 1995-1997 T Darvill 13 Neither east nor west: a social history of the Manx Neolithic S Burrow 27 Bronze Age metallurgy on the Isle of Man: a symposium P } Davey, P Northover, B O'Connor and J J Woodcock 39 Quartz mounds: a preliminary assessment M B Pitts 63 Field walkers' records on burnt mounds on the Isle of Man L S Garrad 75 Trial excavations in the Central Valley of the Isle of Man, December 1991 D A Higgins 81 A report on the excavation carried out by B R S Megaw at Staarvey Farm, Kirk German JJ Woodcock 89 The Bronze Age Burials from Cottier's Field, Bishopscourt Farm, Ballaugh }} Woodcock 99 The excavation of a Bronze Age pit and the examination of a pit-like feature in the Crawyn Brooghs, Ballaugh, Isle of Man / J Woodcock and P } Davey Ill The Ronaldsway Village pottery }} Woodcock 121 Survey and trial excavations at the 'Ronaldsway Village' site, Ronaldsway Airport, Isle of Man D A Higgins 139 Sulby A Johnson 153 Recent archaeological research on the Me of Man The origins of the Manx land system debate R Moore 171 Messages on a monument: recently recovered iconography on a Late Manx fragment from Bishopscourt R Trench-Jellico 183 Myth or Mint? The evidence for a ViMng-age coinage in the Isle of Man K A Bornholdt 199 Manx granite-tempered ware R Barton 221 Medieval and post-medieval continental imports on the Isle of Man P / Davey 241 The original site of Rushen Abbey and its significance BRS Megaw 261 Notes on a collection of post-medieval pottery and glass from 9 Malew Street, Castletown P / Davey 267 Three quarterland farms in the parish of Santon: change and continuity in field boundaries N C Johnson 273 The pig sties and thie veg, Church Farm, Cregneash N C Johnson 277 A nineteenth-century export ceramic assemblage from Poyll Vaaish P / Davey 281 A rmd-nineteenth-century clay tobacco pipe works in Drumgold Street, Douglas, Isle of Man D A Higgins 303 Aerial photography of the Isle of Man R Bewky 315 Radiocarbon dates for the Isle of Man R C Chwenell, P J Davey, JAJ Gowlett and J J Woodcock 321 Recent archaeological accessions into the Manx Museum P / Davey, A D Foxon, S Palmer, H Simons and J J Woodcock 337 Index 369 FIGURES Introdnction No figures The Manx Early Mesolithic: a story in stone 1 (i) Distribution of 'Tardenoisian' sites identified by Clark (ii) the Tardenoisian' flints identified by Clark (after Clark 1935) 6 Contents 2 The current distribution of Early Mesolithic sites (M = Microliths present; KD = Knapping Debris only) 8 3 Distribution of selected microlith types (HB = Hollow-based point; MB = Microburin; S= Scalene triangle; OBT = obliquely trimmed point) 10 Billown Neolithic Landscape Project 1995-1997 1 Location of Billown, Isle of Man 13 2 The Billown area in relation to its local setting and key recorded archaeological sites and monuments 14 3 Aerial photograph showing the Billown Quarry Site in July 1995 during the first season of fieldwork (Photograph: Author) 16 4 Summary plan showing the main open area excavation trenches and recorded features at the Billown Quarry Site 1995-1997 17 5 General view of the Neolithic ditches in Sites H and I. One of the causewayed ditch segments can be seen in the foreground, the stone setting still partly in place. To the right is shaft F44 under excavation. (Photograph: Author) 18 6 View of the en trance into the Neolithic enclosure with ditch segment F127 in the foreground, the stone setting in the latest recut still in place. The cobbled surface and entrance passage is to the right. (Photograph: Author) 19 7 General view of excavations in progress at the north end of Site I in 1996. The top of the shaft F282 can be seen above-centre right, while in the centre of the picture is the large scoop F33. (Photograph: Author) 21 8 View of a Bronze Age house excavated in Site C in 1995. The boundary wall against which the house is built can be seen bottom left, the central hearth is quarter-sectioned above the scale. Scale = lm (Photograph: Author) 23 9 Skibrick Hill enclosure. Plot of the results from the 1996 gradiometer survey of the hilltop. For a full explanation of the anomalies marked a-s see the second interim report on the project (Laughlin in Darvill 1996,40) 24 Neither east nor west: a social history of the Manx Neolithic 1 The dating of monument and pottery types found in the Irish Sea area during the Neolithic 29 2 Illustration of the complexity of site and pottery distribution patterns in the British Isles during the Middle Neolithic (Site distributions based on Lynch (1969), Henshal (1972), Shee Twohig (1990) with additions. Pottery distributions based on data summarised in Burrow 1997. 31 3 Distribution of Middle Neolithic sites on the Isle of Man (with 400ft contour shown) 32 4 Distribution of Late Neolithic sites on the Isle of Man (with 400ft contour shown) 32 5 Dashed areas representing polities and groups of polities in the British Isles during the Late Neolithic (based on Bradley and Chapman (1986) with amendments). Black dots indicate classic henges in Britain (after Harding and Lee 1987), and selected earthen enclosures in Ireland (after Cooney and Grogan 1994) 33 iii Recent archaeological research on the Isle of Man Bronze Age Metallurgy on the Isle of Man: a symposium 1 Distribution map of possible and probable Bronze Age sites and monuments of all classes (excluding burnt mounds) 40 2 Distribution of Bronze Age objects 41 3 Catalogue numbers 1-19 (numbers 11 and 12 not illustrated). Scale 1:3 47 4 Catalogue numbers 20-34 (numbers 22 and 25 not illustrated). Scale 1:3 51 5 Catalogue numbers 35-44 (scale 1:3); 45 and 46 (scale 1:2) 53 6 Catalogue number 47 - clay mould (scale 1:1) 54 7 Catalogue number 48 - stone maul (scale 1:3) 54 8 Catalogue number 49 - stone maul (scale 1:3) 55 9a Comparison of tin contents 56 9b Comparison of lead contents 56 Quartz mounds: a preliminary assessment 1 Quartz mounds in the Arrasey area 63 2 Quartz mounds in Area 2, Rheast Buigh 64 3 Worked slate slab from Area 2, Rheast Buigh (scale 1:4) 65 4 Polished stone axe from Area 2, Rheast Buigh (scale 1:2) 65 5 Polished stone adze from Area 3, Rheast Buigh (scale 1:2) 65 6 Distribution of quartz and flint debris on the largest mound in Area 3, Rheast Buigh 66 7 Polished stone axe from Area 6, Rheast Buigh 67 8 lithic tools from Hospital Field (scale 1:1) 68 9 Hammer-stone from Hospital Field (scale 1:2) 69 10 Quartz mounds in Plot 1488 at Camagrie 69 11 Small polished axe from a quartz mound in Plot 1488, Camagrie (scale 1:2) 70 12 Hammer-stone modified with finger sockets from a quartz mound in Plot 1488, Camagrie (scale 1:2) 70 13 Group of flint tools from a quartz mound in Plot 1488, Camagrie (scale 1:1) 70 14 Plan of hearth, charcoal and quartz in Plot 2530, Agg ny Crosh 71 15 Early Bronze Age pottery sherd from Plot 2530, Agg ny Crosh (scale 1:2) 71 IV Contents 16 Quartz mounds elsewhere on the Isle of Man 72 Field walkers' records of burnt mounds in the Isle of Man 1 Map showing distribution of burnt mounds. Numbers shown indicate number of mounds per 1km square 77 Trial excavations in the Central Valley of the Isle of Man, December 1991 1 The Glen Vine area of the Central Valley showing the locations of the sites investigated 81 2 Plan showing the location of Trench A on the raised platform 82 3 Trench A: plans at 5cm (top) and 15cm (middle) showing sandy streaks from ploughing; section (bottom) 83 4 Trench B: section through low bank and underlying deposits 84 5 Trench C: plans after the removal of Contexts 1 (top) and 2 (middle); section (bottom) 85 6 Plan showing the settings of Trenches D and E 86 7 Trench D after the removal of Context 1 86 8 Trench E: south section 87 9 Site C showing data from gradiometer survey - unfiltered (interpolated) 88 A report on the excavation carried out by B R S Megaw at Staarvey Farm, Kirk German 1 Location map 90 2 Plan and section through cist (after Megaw) 91 3 Second urn in cleared cist 92 4 General view of excavation in progress 93 5 Longworth's illustration of the Staarvey urn (1) and other Manx collared urns (2-4) 94 6 Bone disc (scale 1:1) 95 7 Worked flints (scale 1:1) 96 The Bronze Age Burials from Cottier's Field, Bishopscourt Farm, Ballaugh 1 Plan and section - Cist A (after Megaw) 100 2 Plan and section - Cist B (after Megaw) 101 3 Excavator's trench location plan - rough sketch, not to scale (after Megaw) 102 4 Cist B following removal of the capstone 103 v Recent archaeological research on the Isle of Man 5 Selected flint finds with contextual evidence where available 104 6 Food vessel bowls from Bishopscourt Farm 106 7 Bronze Age monuments in the Bishopscourt and Orrisdale areas 109 The excavation of a Bronze Age pit and the examination of a pit-like feature in the Crawyn Brooghs, Ballaugh, Isle of Man 1 Location map showing the present coastline; the location of the new Bronze Age pit; the pit-like feature and B R S Megaw's finds Ill 2 Pit in section prior to excavation 112 3 Profile of Vessel 1 showing decoration (scale 1:4) 114 4 Profile of Vessel 2 (scale 1:4) 115 5 Profile of Neolithic rim sherd (scale 1:1) 115 6 Mesolithic projectile point (scale 1:1) 116 7 Large body sherds in situ (25cm scale shown) 117 8 Section of pit in cliff face 118 A study of the Bronze Age pottery from Ronaldsway Village, Malew 1 Location map, Ronaldsway Village