On Saturday 1 July 2023, Manx National Heritage will host a public lecture at the Manx Museum on the discovery of the Berk Farm Jet Necklace, one of the most recent objects to be declared Treasure on the Isle of Man.
Dr Rachel Crellin, Associate Professor of archaeology at the University of Leicester and co-director of the Round Mounds of the Isle of Man project, will guide the audience through four fascinating years of archaeological excavations at Berk Farm near Kirk Michael, which led to the discovery of 122 jet beads that make up a complete necklace and a matching bracelet.
Over the course of four years and 14 weeks of excavation, a team of volunteers and students revealed 13 burials at Berk Farm which included the necklace which changed our understanding of Bronze Age burial practices on the island. Only around 90 examples of similar necklaces and bracelets have been found in the British Isles, and none in the Isle of Man. Relatively few complete examples, and still fewer “sets” of necklace plus bracelet have ever been found, making the Berk Farm Jet Necklace a real gem.
Come to the Manx Museum to find out more about the discovery and the Round Mounds of the Isle of Man project from its conception, to the behind the scenes research on archaeological collections and the geophysical surveys of mounds across the island that led to the Berk Farm dig.
The lecture takes place at the Manx Museum in Douglas on Saturday 1 July. Doors open at 1.30pm for 2.30pm start. Tickets cost £10, available in advance at https://manxnationalheritage.im/whats-on, with remaining tickets available on the door.
