Key Takeaways
- Three 3,000-year-old Bronze Age log boats will go on public display after a 13-year conservation.
- Discovered in 2011 near Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, they were preserved using a special wax solution.
- The vessels reveal ancient boat-making techniques and were used for fishing and transport.
Three remarkably preserved Bronze Age log boats, hidden in a riverbed for over three millennia, are finally ready for public viewing. After a meticulous 13-year conservation process, these ancient vessels will be displayed at Flag Fen Archaeology Park near Peterborough.
Ancient Discovery and Preservation
Archaeologists discovered nine log boats dating from the Bronze and Iron Age near Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, in 2011. These simple vessels were crafted by hollowing out single tree trunks. The boats have been carefully preserved in climate-controlled conditions using a specialized wax and water solution.
A Powerful Reconnection with History
Jacqueline Mooney, general manager of Flag Fen Archaeology Park, expressed the significance of this exhibition. “The Must Farm boats have lain undisturbed for over 3,000 years, preserved in the peaty silence of time. Now, through our new exhibition, they emerge to tell their story,” she said.
“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 excavation was funded by landowner Forterra before quarrying operations began.
Revealing Ancient Boat Technology
Iona Robinson Zeki, archaeological researcher at Cambridge Archaeological Unit, highlighted the importance of the discovery. “The Must Farm log boats are an amazing discovery: they reveal that these simple, yet supremely effective boats were used to navigate a fenland river for almost a millennium,” she stated.
“We can see, in their varied construction, 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.”
She added: “These vessels were used to lay fish traps but also to transport people potentially alongside animals and materials.”
Boats Destined for Display
The three vessels selected for exhibition include:
- A 6.3-metre Middle Bronze Age oak vessel with areas of charring inside
- A 2.2-metre fragment of a Middle Bronze Age oak boat featuring an intricate hull repair
- A 0.8-metre fragment of an Early Bronze Age boat made of field maple
This exhibition offers a rare glimpse into Bronze Age life and technology in the Cambridgeshire fens.
