Ictis facts for kids
Ictis (also called Iktin) was an island that played a big part in ancient trade. An old Greek historian named Diodorus Siculus wrote about it around 100 BC. He said Ictis was a very important place for trading tin.
Most experts agree that Ictis was an island somewhere off the southern coast of what is now England. But they still argue about its exact spot! Some think it was St Michael's Mount or Looe Island in Cornwall. Others believe it was the Mount Batten area in Devon, or even the Isle of Wight further east.
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Where Was Ictis? The Big Debate
For a long time, people have wondered about the true location of Ictis. Many historians and archaeologists have studied old texts and dug up ancient sites to find clues.
Early Ideas About Ictis
Back in the Elizabethan era, a historian named William Camden thought Ictis was the same as the Isle of Wight. He noticed that "Ictis" sounded a lot like "Vectis," which was the old Latin name for the Isle of Wight.
Later, a Cornish expert named William Borlase (who lived from 1696 to 1772) had a different idea. He suggested that Ictis must have been close to the coast of Cornwall. He thought it might have been a general name for a whole area or peninsula there.
St Michael's Mount: A Strong Candidate
In 1960, a researcher named Gavin de Beer looked closely at the clues. He believed that St Michael's Mount was the most likely spot for Ictis. St Michael's Mount is a tidal island near the town of Marazion in Cornwall. This means you can walk to it at low tide, but it becomes an island when the tide is high.
This fits with what Diodorus Siculus wrote about Ictis. De Beer also thought St Michael's Mount would have been a good place for the ancient Britons to trade. Many experts today, including the Roman Britain Organization, agree with this idea.
Mount Batten: Another Possible Site
In 1972, another expert, I. S. Maxwell, looked at twelve different places that could have been Ictis! Then, in 1983, an archaeologist named Barry Cunliffe led some digs. After his discoveries, he suggested that the Mount Batten peninsula near Plymouth was the real Ictis.
Close by, near the mouth of the River Erme, a very old shipwreck was found. This ship had ancient tin blocks on board. This discovery shows that people were trading tin along this coast a long time ago. However, it's hard to know exactly when this ship sank, so it might not be from the same time as Ictis.
What Do Modern Experts Think?
In 1996, Miranda Aldhouse-Green, another expert, shared her thoughts in a book called The Celtic World. She said that the two most likely places for Ictis are St Michael's Mount in Cornwall and the Mount Batten peninsula in Plymouth.
She noted that Mount Batten seems more likely based on archaeological finds. Many objects found there show that it was a very important place for international trade. This trade happened from about 400 BC until 100 AD.
