Long before tarot cards and palm reading, some ancient civilizations looked to spoons for the future! On the west coast of the Isle of Man, a metal detectorist exploring private property uncovered a rare bronze spoon that may have been used by Iron Age people to tell the future.
The artifact is shaped like a strawberry and is just one of 28 ancient divination spoons that have been found across Britain, Ireland, and France.
It is the first of its kind to be found on the Isle of Man. The discovery was made by metal detectorist Rob Middleton.
He stumbled upon the bronze spoon on a private farm owned by David Anderson in the parish of Patrick. Then, he reported the find to Manx National Heritage.
“Dating to around 400 to 100 [B.C.E.], this bronze spoon is one of the most intriguing objects ever discovered on this 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, the archaeology curator for Manx National Heritage.
“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 artifact is now known as the Patrick-Middleton spoon. The broad bowl of the utensil resembles a strawberry.
It also contains a circular handle decorated with spiral designs and two engraved lines that intersect to form a cross, dividing the bowl into four quadrants.
Experts aren’t sure exactly what the 2,000-year-old spoon was used for, but they theorized that it was used in divination rituals meant to predict the future.
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“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,” Fox said.
“The details of such ceremonies have been lost in the midst of time.”
The liquid in question may have been water, beer, or even blood. It is not the first time that Middleton and Anderson have made donations to the Manx National Heritage. This particular discovery confirms that the Isle of Man was a place where Iron Age rituals occurred.
The British Museum has several metal spoons as well. According to the museum, many of the spoons were dug up from graves, suggesting that they served as personal items rather than as part of a funerary ceremony.
The newfound bronze spoon is now on display at the House of Manannan, a museum located on the west coast of the island, where the public can learn more about the island’s history and connect with it.
