After spending more than three millennia hidden in the mud, three extraordinarily rare log boats from the Bronze and Iron Age have been unveiled, offering a remarkable window into Britain's ancient past.
An Unprecedented Archaeological Find
The boats represent part of the largest group of prehistoric vessels ever discovered at a single UK site. They were found thirteen years ago in a Cambridgeshire quarry at Must Farm, near Whittlesey, where they lay in the riverbed of a long-silted-up creek. Of the nine boats originally uncovered, most were in a remarkable state of preservation, with one even retaining its buoyancy despite its incredible age.
After more than a decade of meticulous conservation work, three of these ancient craft are now going on permanent public display for the very first time. The remaining vessels continue to be part of an ongoing preservation project at a specialist facility constructed at the Flag Fen archaeology park.
Revealing Ancient Craftsmanship and Daily Life
Dating from 1,500 BC to 500 BC, these boats provide invaluable evidence about prehistoric technology and daily existence. Archaeologists have determined that the vessels, crafted from hollowed-out single tree trunks, were made from specific tree species including oak and field maple.
Analysis has revealed precise felling methods and the types of tools used in their construction. The three boats selected for display showcase this variety: a 6.3-metre middle Bronze Age oak boat with internal charring, a 2.2-metre fragment of another oak boat featuring a sophisticated hull repair, and a small 0.8-metre fragment from an early Bronze Age boat made from field maple.
Iona Robinson Zeki, a researcher at the Cambridge Archaeological Unit, described the find as an "amazing discovery". She explained, "These simple, yet supremely effective boats were used to navigate a fenland river for almost a millennium. We can see how the qualities of different types and sizes of trees were used to make boats ranging from small, manoeuvrable canoes to long, stable punt-like vessels."
A Landscape Transformed
The boats tell a story of environmental change. Over the centuries they were in use, the area became progressively wetter as groundwater levels rose. "It goes from being seasonally wet to wet most of the year, and turning into swamp," Robinson Zeki noted. This transformation made boats the primary mode of transport for moving people, animals, goods, and for activities such as fishing.
The exceptional preservation of the boats is due to their long burial in waterlogged, oxygen-deprived conditions. Since excavation, they have been kept in climate-controlled environments and treated with a special wax and water solution to prevent deterioration. The condition of some vessels suggests they were stored in water intentionally to prevent cracking, perhaps for future use, while others appear to have been retired at the end of their working lives.
Jacqueline Mooney, General Manager of Flag Fen archaeology park, emphasised the significance of the display: "This is more than an archaeological display – it's a powerful reconnection with the people who once lived, worked and journeyed through this landscape."
The conservation effort was made possible through funding from Forterra, the owner of the discovery site, alongside Historic England and Peterborough City Council. The 'Bronze Age Boat Discoveries at Must Farm' exhibition opens as a permanent display at Flag Fen archaeology park, allowing the public to come face-to-face with these incredible survivors from Britain's distant past.
