Illustrations by Caroline Caldwell.
Ebook (PDF) published 2012.
In 1992 the perfectly preserved remains of a large prehistoric, sewn plank boat were discovered buried six metres below the streets of Dover in SE England. The boat has been dated to c 150 BC and is one of the most important and spectacular prehistoric wooden objects ever found in Europe. This richly illustrated book, including carefully researched reconstruction drawings, tells the dramatic story of its discovery and excavation, and the pioneering work done on its conservation, re-assembly and display in the multi-award winning Bronze Age gallery at Dover Museum. The boat was made from huge oak planks hewn into elaborate shapes that fitted together with exacting tolerances. These were made fast with an intricate system waterproofed with pads of moss held in place by thin strips of oak and a stopping made of beeswax and animal fat. Together these elements formed a broad-beamed, flat-bottomed boat of unique design, employing a woodworking tradition now long forgotten. In addition to a detailed description of the boat itself, the book explores the method of its construction, its original form, capabilities and performance, and its function and place in Bronze Age society. It presents new and innovative techniques for the study of ancient timbers and describes an experiment in building a copy of the boat using replicas of Bronze Age tools. Far more than a straightforward technical report on an ancient vessel, this book examines in depth the implications of such a unique find for our understanding of prehistoric communities 3,500 years ago.
Author(s): Peter Clark (ed.)
Publisher: English Heritage
Year: 2004
Language: English
Pages: XVI+352
City: Swindon
List of illustrations vii
List of tables xi
Foreword xii
Acknowledgements xiii
Summary xiii
Resume xiv
Zusammenfassung xv
1. Introduction by Peter Clark 1
2. Glossary by Peter Clark 4
3. Discovery and excavation by Keith Parfitt 9
4. Recording by Peter Clark and Barry Corke 23
5. Description of the boat by Peter Marsden 32
6. Illuminating the original shape of the Dover boat timbers by Richard Darrah 96
7. Woodland management and timber conversion by Richard Darrah 106
8. Assembly and construction techniques by Damian Goodburn 124
9. The reconstruction experiment by Richard Darrah 164
10. Reconstruction and performance by Owain Roberts 189
11. Other artefacts from the site by Paul Bown, Charlie Bristow, Jackie Burnett, Peter Clark, Alex Gibson, Nerina de Silva, David Williams, Tania Wilson and Jeremy Young 211
12. The environmental evidence by Helen Keeley, Enid Allison, Nicholas Branch, Nigel Cameron, Simon Dobinson, Isabel Ellis, Peter Ellison, Andrew Fairbairn, Chris Green, Robin Hunter, Jerry Lee, Alison Locker,John Lowe, Adrian Palmer, Eric Robinson, John Stewart and Keith Wilkinson 229
13. Dating by Alex Bayliss, Cathy Groves, F. Gerry McCormack, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Mike G. L. Baillie, David Brown, Gordon T. Cook and Roy W. Switsur 251
14. Affinities and differences by Edward Wright 256
15. The boat in its cultural setting by Keith Parfitt and Timothy Champion 264
16. The deposition of the boat by Timothy Champion 276
17. Conservation by Jacqui Watson 282
18. Reassembly and display by Peter Clark, Barry Corke and Christine Waterman 290
19. Discussion by Peter Clark 305
References 323
Index 331
