Ronaldsway Slate Plaque
Date made: Neolithic: 4000-2000 BC
Description: This small, wafer-thin slate plaque is one of five found during excavations at Ronaldsway in the 1940s and is about four thousand years old. This plaque, and one other in the group, is decorated with geometric designs including zig-zags and chevrons.
Sharp, geometric designs were very much on-trend during the later Neolithic period, with similar designs being cut into pottery and larger stones.
These plaques are thought to be unique to the Isle of Man, but their function is unclear. They may have been used in the ritual preparation of such items as medicines, special condiments or body paint. They may have been jewelry, although there is no evidence of how they may have been attached. Or they may have been just the favourite ornaments of a Neolitihic inhabitant of Ronaldsway village.
Measurements: overall: 7.6 cm x 3.2 cm
Materials: slate
Date found: 1965
Object name: plaque
Collection: Archaeology Collection
ID number: 1965-0001/050