The Isle of Man is extremely old, and was once connected to mainland Britain as far back as 8000 BC, around which time it started to separate. It is thought that the first settlers to the island arrived nearly fifteen hundred years later, at or around 6500 BC. These first inhabitants had an extremely rough time on the island, and lived mostly in shelters made from rough cut stone slabs and timber. As for sustenance, the ancient people lived off of the plentiful surrounding seas, and also hunted local game. Roots and berries were also abundant on the island at that time, and they served as another food source, albeit seasonal. Much of the archaeological evidence that these people left behind can be seen at the Manx Museum located on the island. The artifacts include flint and stone tools, as well as bone carved decorative items. If you get a chance to visit the museum, you will be impressed by the quality of these specimens.
It wasn't until the Neolithic Period, that the early settlers on the Isle of Man began to move away from hunting and gathering, and more towards farming. The tools and pottery of the island advanced rapidly during this time, and facilitated a much larger population growth. During this time of great growth and abundance, huge Megalithic monuments began to be built in various parts of the island. The remnants of these great stone structures can still be seen today, though obviously they aren't fully intact as they were originally. Specific examples of these ruins are Cashtal yn Ard near Maughold, Meayll Circle near Cregneash, the Ballaharra Stones in St John's, King Orry's Grave in Laxey, and numerous others. It is thought that these monuments were not just created by one culture of the region, but that they were created by several different emerging cultures that had settled the island during this ancient time.
Once the Bronze Age arrived at the island, the population and civilization growth in the area was continuing to flourish. Artifacts from this era can still be seen as well, marked mostly by much smaller stone monuments as compared to the time period earlier. What makes this time period's monuments unique, is that they were mostly used as burial markers, as opposed to being solely used for aesthetic purposes as before. It is thought that the burial mounds that these Bronze age stones lined, were heavily adorned with ornamental containers. The countryside throughout the Isle of Man is heavily dotted with these mounds, and many of them are remarkably well preserved considering their age. If you look at any of these monuments today, you'll notice that some of the stone slabs or markers barely seem to stick out of the ground. That is because of thousands of years of soil sediment has built up and buried most of the stone's full size.
Once the Iron Age came to the island, this would mark the beginning of the Celtic cultural prominence period. The Isle of Man was somewhat militarized during this time, with huge hill top forts being built across land. It is thought that the first of the Celtic tribes to inhabit the Isle of Man were of the Brythonic branch. By 700 AD, Irish culture had begun to dominate the island, however it is not known if this happened through conquest, or through immigration. It is likely that both factors played a significant role in spreading Irish influence to the island. From this period onward, the island's inhabitants would speak Manx Gaelic, which was a direct language branch of Irish Gaelic. That concludes this quick summary of the ancient history of the Isle of Man. If you have any questions about this time period, please feel free to drop us an email. If you would like to contribute to the article, we also accept article submissions.
