Glen Wyllin, Ballacrega (sometimes referred to as Cooildarry)
Date(s): 17-27 September 2000
Creator(s): Centre for Manx Studies
Administration / Biographical History: An archaeological excavation was carried out on slopes above Glen Wyllin as one of a series of field projects designed to enhance the understanding of Manx prehistory in preparation for the production of Volume 2 of the New History of the Isle of Man. The site, OS 25” Plot No 931, was selected as being at or near the important early Mesolithic finds discovered by Swinnerton in 1889 (PRN 0789.00).
Three separate areas were investigated by test-pitting. The first two were placed close to the supposed location of the Swinnerton excavation at the north end of Plot 931 and proved almost completely sterile from an archaeological point of view. The third was in the headland at the southern end of Plot 931 and parallel to it. This produced in excess of 1000 pieces of humanly struck flint typical of the Manx early Mesolithic together with charcoal and a quantity of charred hazelnut shell. At the base of one of the test pits in this area there was a cobbled surface resting on natural sand. Two carbon dates from charred hazelnut shells were obtained from East Kilbride. They provided determinations of cal BP 9265-8812 and cal BP 9396-8781 at two sigma probability – the earliest dates for human activity on Man so far.
People:
J J Woodcock, S McCartan, P J Davey, N.C. Johnson
Language: English
Collection: Manuscript Archive
Level: SERIES
ID number: MS 14146/50
Access conditions: No regulations or restrictions are implemented on this material. Advance notification of a research visit is advisable by emailing library@mnh.gov.im