The Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society (IoMNHAS) continues its winter series of presentations on Saturday, with Dr Rachel J Crellin speaking on ‘Violent Times? Use-wear analysis of weapons from the later Bronze Age on the Isle of Man’.
The lecture will be held at 2.30pm in the Manx Museum lecture theatre in Douglas.
Manx-born Rachel says about her topic: ‘The proliferation of metal objects during the Bronze Age, and in particular the development of swords, shields and spears, often leads to a characterisation of the period as particularly brutal. Some authors present an image of a period filled with warriors, violence and pitched battles.
‘The swords, spears and axes of the later Bronze Age are often found deposited in hoards, or in rivers, bogs or streamsthey are also sometimes found purposefully broken. The apparent votive deposition of these weapons in ritualised contexts and the perceived weakness of bronze as a material lead other authors to suggest these objects were prestige goods - indicators of social status, not deadly weapons.
‘This paper will draw on collaborative work from ‘Bronze Age Combat: an experimental approach’ (https://sites.google.com/site/bronzeagecombat/ home) - a project that combined experimental combat using replica weapons with use-wear analysis of prehistoric weapons to investigate evidence for combat in the period.
‘The results of this project were used as the basis for theanalysis of the Bronze Age weapons from the Isle of Man alongside other contextual evidence to consider whether the later Bronze Age on the Isle of Man was really a violent time.’
Rachel’s impressive academic background includes obtaining a first class honours degree – and the highest marks in her year – in archaeology and anthropology at the University of Cambridge. She went on to obtain an MA in material and visual culture studies with the anthropology department at University College London. She was awarded a distinction for her MA thesis using ethnographic research to explore the anthropology of the seascape as experienced by small boat-users on the Isle of Man.
Her Newcastle University PhD project was entitled ‘Changing Times: the emergence of a Bronze Age on the Isle of Man’ and she completed her PhD research at Newcastle with Chris Fowler, Jan Harding and Andrea Dolfini.
She then worked at the Centre of Manx Studies helping to deliver its field schools in archaeological excavation techniques and assisting with research and commercial projects on the island. She also actedas the project administrator for the AHRC (Arts & Humanities Research Council) funded project The Tyne-Forth Prehistory Forum on prehistoric archaeology in north-east England and south-east Scotland.
She is currently a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow at the University of Leicester in Archaeology and Ancient History . Her research focuses on material change and new materials. As part of her Leverhulme Fellowship she has been creating a use-wear catalogue for Early Bronze Age axes involving a range of experiments with replica axes both in the lab and the field.
On her University of Leicester web page she says this catalogue will be used as the basis for a wide ranging examination of use-wear marks on British and Irish Early Bronze Age flat axes. The experiments build on her existing experience as a metal use-wear analyst and involvement in the Bronze Age Combat project at Newcastle University.
The lecture will be followed by the serving of tea, coffee and biscuits.
Later this month the society’s annual general meeting on Saturday, March 19, will be followed by Dave Martin BSc talking on ‘LiDAR and other digital archaeology on the Island’. This event will again take place in the Manx Museum lecture theatre, beginning at 2.30pm.
The IOMNHAS is keen to increase its membership, particularly of younger members and active researchers, and generally to reach a wider audience. It has plans to digitise its past proceedings and to raise its profile with stands and exhibitions at island events. For further details on how to join, email secretary@manxantiquarians.com and see also the society’s website www.manxantiquarians.com and Facebook page www.facebook.com/IsleOfManNaturalHistoryandAntiquarianSociety
The society is also keen to remind islanders interested in heritage that March 31 is the deadline for applications to Manx National Heritage’s Donald Collister Heritage Grants Programme. Resulting from a generous bequest by this former Colby resident, the programme offers heritage grants, support for local community development projects in Arbory, and island-wide biodiversity and heritage skills development projects. Organisations and individuals can apply and for further details see www.manxnationalheritage.im/get-involved/heritage-grants/ and email Cathy Clucas at dcheritagestrategy@gmail.com