Eight bronze age boats nearly chopped

Flag Fen 3

Image by Chris Collyer

Littlestone Jun 4, 2013 12:59:28

Re moss’ Latest News item here on the eight bronze age boats at Fens creek: Panter, “...an expert on waterlogged timber from York Archaeological Trust...” is reported as saying -

My first thought was to deal with them in the usual way, by chopping them into more manageably sized chunks, but when I actually saw them they just looked so nice, I thought we had to find another way.

Jeeze... what was he before he became an ‘expert on waterlogged timber’ - a butcher’s assistant!

harestonesdown Jun 4, 2013 15:18:32

Replying to Littlestone

Littlestone wrote:

Re moss’ Latest News item here on the eight bronze age boats at Fens creek: Panter, “...an expert on waterlogged timber from York Archaeological Trust...” is reported as saying -

Jeeze... what was he before he became an ‘expert on waterlogged timber’ - a butcher’s assistant!

Though they did ad that had they turned up with a chainsaw the crew would have lynched them. :)

ryaner Jun 4, 2013 17:41:01

Replying to Littlestone

Panter wrote:

My first thought was to deal with them in the usual way, by chopping them into more manageably sized chunks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Give_Me_Convenience_or_Give_Me_Death

BuckyE Jun 21, 2013 16:20:18

Replying to Littlestone

Will have to get contact information and permission to quote/pass along, but in the meantime...

Loie and I were at a wedding this past weekend and met someone involved with Flag Fen, who was excited about the boats and happy to meet someone with an existing interest in prehistory. (Seemed from the conversation most folks she talks to about her work glaze over.)

We were told the non-chopping method adpted at FF was unorthodox: standard practice is to (can't quote exactly, but this conveys the concept) "dismantle and reconstruct."

Interesting. Please remember old, soggy, rotten wood is going to be fragile. I'd assume dismantling has been believed to ensure the least possible accidental damage. Probably through difficult experience.