Another find from Lincoln Eastern Bypass dig: a prehistoric log boat

Archaeologist continuing excavations along the route of Lincoln Eastern Bypass unearthed a 6-metre-long Prehistoric boat made of a tree trunk.

Prehistoric log boat (by Lincolnshire Live)

The log boat is said to have been made out of oak wood. According to archaeologists it might be 4000 years old, possibly being created during the Bronze Age (c. 2000-1000BC). Samples of the wood have been sent to a laboratory for radiocarbon dating. The boat was discovered with the prow slightly higher than the stern, as if it had been hauled out onto a riverbank. Its tilted position also means the front of the boat was more exposed to the air, causing more of the wood to rot away, meanwhile the back of the boat is much better preserved.

Spraying Prehistoric wood with water (by Lincolnshire Live)

According to archaeologists the landscape around the excavation site would have been very different when the boat was in use. The ancient river would have snaked across a wide, flat fenland, bounded by woodland on the higher ground. The boat is believed to have been able to carry five or six passengers and used for fishing or hunting. Over the years of exploration, Witham valley,  has produced more log boats than anywhere else in the county, but nationally they are still rare across United Kingdom.

Excavations along the Lincoln Eastern Bypass (by Lincolnshire Live)

(after Lincolnshire Live)

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