Ancient Boat Found Buried In Mud

BBC ^ | 9-6-2003

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Ancient boat found buried in mud

The site is inaccessible when the tide is in

A wooden boat thought to date back more than 1,500 years is to be raised from its resting place on the Hampshire coast. Archaeologists are to attempt to raise the canoe from the intertidal mud of Langstone Harbour, near Portsmouth.

The boat, hollowed out of an oak tree trunk, is only the second of its kind to be found in the Solent since the 1880s.

It is thought to date back to 500 AD.

It was discovered in March 2002 by John Cross and Arthur Mack, who spotted one end of the canoe protruding from the mud.

The log boat gives us a rare chance to glimpse the world of the Dark Ages.

Julie Satchell, Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology On closer examination, they realised it was worked timber.

A team of archaeologists and specialists are now to construct a cage around the boat and use lifting bags to bring up the cage.

It will then be transported by boat to the Southampton Oceanography Centre.

Post-excavation analysis will be carried out on the boat before it is sent to the Mary Rose Trust for conservation.

Julie Satchell, from the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology, said: "The log boat gives us a rare chance to glimpse the world of the Dark Ages."

"Few finds from this period have been discovered and preserved and organic remains are rarer still.

"We hope it will reveal evidence of woodworking technology and craft, as well as clues about the sea level during this period."

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Catastrophic Even Preceded Dark Ages - Scientist

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The Dark Ages: Were They Darker Than We Imagined

[tet68]

"The log boat gives us a rare chance to glimpse the world of the Dark Ages."

Gaze deep into Hillery!'s eyes and you can feel that cold dark world.

[Sacajaweau]

Cool but I'm trying to figure out how they are coming to the conclusion of when it was carved out.

[blam]

"Cool but I'm trying to figure out how they are coming to the conclusion of when it was carved out."

Mike Baillie, dendrochronologist, could do a quick glance at the cross section of the log and be accurate to within one year of the tree being cut. The tree ring chronology is now over 10k years long.

Mike Baillie

Academic profile
BSc, PhD (QUB), MRIA

Research Interests

Archaeologist and palaeoecologist with research interests in dendrochronological and chronological issues. Teaches chronological and environmental issues in palaeoecology plus human evolution. Research record in tree-ring chronology construction for radiocarbon calibration and reconstruction of past environmental change.

[EO1TopDawg]

This is amazing to me. I have been facinated by the early people of this continant. I hope this provides some more revalations into the technology and origins of the builders of the canoe. Hey, what ever happened to that study in the South East where archaeologists found a skeleton that suggested that the earliest inhabitants of North America might actually be of hebrew or middle eastern decent?

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"Hey, what ever happened to that study in the South East where archaeologists found a skeleton that suggested that the earliest inhabitants of North America might actually be of hebrew or middle eastern decent?"

I find this even more astonishing.

European DNA Found In 7-8,000 Year Old Skeleton In Florida (Windover)

[Sacajaweau]

The age of the tree and WHEN it was carved is two different things. If I take a 300 year old stump and carve it into an old corn pounding mechanism, is the mechanism 300 years old??

[ErnBatavia]

I found a better shot...

[EO1TopDawg]

"I find this even more astonishing."

Amazing. I don't have cable so I missed it. But if you have any more info on this I would love to see it. I had mentioned this to others at work and they had never heard of it.

[Prof Engineer]

ping

[WoofDog123]

This is not a reply per-se to your comment but I find it fascinating to read about doors to early medieval churches that were carved from oaks in the area of 300 years old themselves (300years alive, that is). I can only wonder what a virgin forest or ancient forest would have looked like, without human limits on longevity. What does a 300 year old oak look like?

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

History bump.

[doodad]

I can only wonder what a virgin forest or ancient forest would have looked like

Go to Joyce Kilmer memorial grove in NC. The trees were so big and old the loggers refused to cut them in the 20s and 30s. Awesome glimpse of what the forest looked like years ago.

[blam]

"What does a 300 year old oak look like? "

Inspiration Oak was 500 yo it was killed in a land dispute.

[farmfriend]

Gods, Graves, Glyphs
List for articles regarding early civilizations , life of all forms, - dinosaurs - etc.

Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this ping list.

[Godebert]

"What does a 300 year old oak look like? "

The Wye Mills Oak in Talbot County Maryland was close to 500 years old. It fell during a thunderstorm last year.

[blam]

"But if you have any more info on this I would love to see it. I had mentioned this to others at work and they had never heard of it."

Did you read this article? The thread has links to more details, it is the 'Windover' site.

Bye, Bye Beringia (8,000 Year Old Site In Florida)

[RightWhale]

The boat, hollowed out of an oak tree trunk

So it sunk. You, too, can add excitement to a family boating picnic by making a boat out of a tree trunk and trying to paddle someplace on a windy day.