Das Bootsgrab von Balladoole, Isle of Man

Abstract

"In the final months of World War II, excavations were carried out on the Isle of Man, leading to the uncovering of a boat grave in the vicinity of Balladoole, to the west of Castletown. The excavations were led by Gerhard Bersu, the chief director of the Roman-Germanic Commission in Frankfurt, who had fled from Germany during his period of internment. More than ten years later, D.M. Wilson presented the excavation results on the basis of Bersu’s reports (Bersu/Wilson 1966). In this article, the burial offerings found in the grave are analysed with regard to provenance and date on the basis of the present state of research. The offerings comprise insular Celtic objects as well as foreign goods from the Continent. The grave thus documents contacts with both the Celtic West and the Carolingian Empire of the late ninth century / ca. 900. At the same time, the adherence to the custom of burial in a boat is indicative of close ties with Western Scandinavia." (author's abstract)