The National Treasures display at the House of Manannan in Peel showcases Viking artifacts discovered on the Isle of Man over the past 200 years. The British Museum has loaned several key pieces to complement the Manx National Collection in this special display.
Location and Significance
According to Curator of Archaeology at Manx National Heritage Allison Fox, the Isle of Man’s location in the middle of the Irish Sea plays a key role in the island’s important archaeological finds.
“We had some amazing archaeological artifacts found in the past few years and we really started thinking about how significant these were compared to our geographic neighbors,” Fox told the BBC. “Part of the manifestation of that is some incredibly high-quality silver and gold jewelry, lots and lots of treasure hoards of coins, and also some amazing prehistoric jewelry.”
Treasure Returns
The island’s largest single collection of Viking silver returns to the Isle. The Ballaquayle hoard was discovered in 1894 in Douglas and taken to the British Museum before the Manx Museum was created. It dates to about 970 AD. A more recently found Viking brooch, notable for its size, is also a part of the exhibition.
“Further enriching the exhibition are neck-rings and arm-rings from around AD 930, discovered in a marl pit in 1868. These finely crafted pieces, made with plaited and twisted silver wires, showcase the sophistication and artistry of Viking Age craftsmanship, challenging the common perception of the Vikings as merely violent warriors,” said Fox in a press release.
The Isle of Man has over 30 grave sites dating from 850 AD to 950 AD. According to Robert Ferguson, the only places to keep their Celtic names after the arrival of the Vikings are Douglas and Rushen.
The National Treasures display also include items from the Bronze Age. The exhibition ends on Feb. 1, 2026, and admission is free.
Sources: The Vikings: A History, 2009, by Robert Ferguson.
