Posted on 08/24/2006 11:25:40 AM PDT by Marius3188
Archaeologists working on a gas pipeline near Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire have unearthed what they believe to be a 3,400-year-old canoe.
Work has stopped on a section of the pipeline near St Botolphs to allow the Bronze Age oak relic to be recovered.
It is the first such discovery in Wales and only 150 exist across Europe.
Senior archaeologist Neil Fairburn said: "You could never have expected to find anything like this in this small wetland area, it's just awesome."
The team has also found evidence of a small settlement, a small amount of property and other items, such as polished stone rings.
Fragment
Mr Fairburn, who works for the National Grid, said: "Everybody here is excited and it's unlikely they'll ever work on anything like this again."
It was found six weeks ago less than a metre below the surface in a marshy area of land, but archaeologists have only just had it confirmed what the find was. Work was stopped immediately.
A fragment was sent to experts in Miami, who radio carbon dated it to 1,420 BC.
The canoe is carved from a single trunk of oak, and measures 4.5m x 0.9m (15ft x 3ft).
It is being kept continuously wet to prevent it from rotting.
Mr Fairburn added: "The wet conditions have provided beautiful preservation conditions for the wood.
"If the gas pipeline had not been coming through here we would not have this."
It will take another two weeks before the team is ready to move the canoe, which will be handed over to the National Museum of Wales.
Contractors have been moved to work on other parts of the route, which will run the breadth of Wales.
The natural gas pipeline will link two liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals at Milford with the UK's gas supply.
There have been protests against the LNG and pipeline project on safety and environmental grounds - and this was not the first time work had been stopped after an unexpected discovery.
Earlier this year work was stopped on a section of the route at St Clears after a human thigh bone and other fragments were unearthed by contractors.
The remains were later identified as specimens used by the medical profession or students.
I didn't know that. If I can regain my confidence enough to get back in my boat someday, I may have to join. I should also check to see whether anyone is running a herpetoculture list.
Bill
Make no mistake, American excavations have archaeologists monitoring operations to make sure relics don't get destroyed. Bak in the late '70s, when my mom was an anthropology student, she took part in digs at sites found when MARTA was coming through. Mostly trash piles -- you can learn a lot about people by what they threw away.
There was also an ancient find that temporarily halted construction of a high-rise condo a few years back -- I don't remember the details.
That's nothing on the grand scale.
I guess I stumbled upon it when looking for info on the "canoe man," and for got how I'd found it.
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Just updating the GGG info, not sending a general distribution. |
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