Dwelling excavated at Isle of Man Airport predates Stonehenge by 3,000 years
July 20, 2009
ArchaeologyNews
A runway extension project at the Isle of Man Airport has unearthed the foundation of an 8,000-
year-old dwelling— predating Stonehenge by 3,000 years.
The site, which is thought to be the oldest dwelling discovered so far on the Isle of Man, dates to
the Mesolithic (“middle stone age”) period. The foundation consists of a hollow that is roughly 20 feet
in diameter, surrounded by a circle of postholes. The structure would have been made of wood and perhaps covered in hide or wattle. There is also evidence of a hearth that would have been used for cooking and warmth.
Various objects from Mesolithic daily life have been found at the site, including charcoal, hazelnut shells, and at least 15,000 pieces of worked flint.
The discovery of the Manx site is (literally) groundbreaking: it dispels the commonly held belief among archaeologists that Mesolithic peoples were strictly nomadic. Gemma Jones of Oxford Archaeology North, the team conducting the dig, noted that, “It could potentially have a massive impact on our academic understanding, of what we believe life to have been in the Mesolithic period.”
Manx National Heritage archaeologist Andrew Johnson says that such a discovery is, “a defining moment in an archaeologist's career. Finding a Mesolithic house is like finding the tooth of a hen— you would never think it would happen!” Johnson believes the house may have somewhat resembled a Mongolian yurt or Native American wigwam.
The occupants of the dwelling may have been a large group, such as an extended family, and would have been hunters subsisting on fish and fowl, as well as gathered plant foods. They would have been among the first people to return to the island after the end of the Ice Age.
The site has attracted the attention of a BBC television team who are filming the next season of Coast, a program that explores Britain’s relationship to the sea throughout history.
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