Bronze - Alchemy in Mann explores Isle of Man's Bronze Age heritage at Manx Museum

Exhibition: Bronze - Alchemy in Mann 1000 BC, The Manx Museum, Isle of Man, until January 11 2011

The Manx Museum is exploring the Bronze Age heritage of the Isle of Man with an exhibition which reveals one of the richest archaeological seams in the Island's history.

The Bronze Age on the Isle ran from around 2000 to 600 BC, and houses, burial sites and artefact find spots from the era occur all over the Island.

One of the most dramatic discoveries was the recent unearthing of a skeleton at the island's Ronaldsway Airport in 2008.

Bearing the marks of a violent death, archaeologists established that it was a man who died nearly 3,000 years ago, during the Bronze Age, and the exhibition looks in detail at evidence uncovered right across the Island to paint a picture of his time.

Allison Fox, Curator of Archaeology for Manx National Heritage, said it offered the chance to "talk in more detail about one of the most interesting periods in Manx history".

"This is part of prehistory – the Vikings were 2,000 years into the future – but the wealth of information we have about Manx society in around 1000 BC is fantastic," she added.

Visitors can explore previously unseen archaeological artefacts, as well as replicas showing some of the bronze artefacts in their original glory. The only possession found with the skeleton - an armband unearthed at Ronaldsway - will also be on display for the first time.