Hanson Log Boat
Encyclopedia
The Hanson Log Boat was a bronze age
boat found in a gravel pit in Shardlow
in Derbyshire. This log boat is now in Derby Museum and Art Gallery
.
in 1998. The boat was almost complete but was damaged slightly by the quarry machinery before its importance was identified. The boat was dated to 3500 bp. Sadly the boat had to be sawn into small sections so that it could be transported and conserved because it was so heavy. Much of the weight was due to damp which had preserved the wood and kept it from rotting. The wood was slowly dried at the York Archaeological Trust after it had been immersed for 18 months in poly-ethylene glycol, This chemical penetrated the wood and provided strength.
Unusually the boat still had a cargo of Bromsgrove sandstone which had been quarried at Kings Mills
nearby. The stone is presumed to have been destined for strengthening a causeway across the River Trent
.
The boat completed its conservation at a cost of £119,000 and is now in Derby Museum. A second log boat was also discovered at the quarry five years later but it was reinterred in order that it could be preserved.
The display at Derby Museum also includes metal finds that were also found due to the quarrying at Shardlow. The items mostly date from the Middle Bronze Age and were usually found by metal detectors on the quarries conveyor belts although in one case the artefact was identified by a customer of a bag of sand and it was then possible to trace down the supply chain back to Shardlow quarry. The spear head illustrated is thought to be of design influenced by Irish art and is considered to be a decorative rather than practical spear head. The number of finds of axes and broken rapiers is thought to be due to religious offerings where valuable items were thrown into the water.
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
boat found in a gravel pit in Shardlow
Shardlow
Shardlow is a village in Derbyshire, England about 8 km southeast of Derby and 12 km southwest of Nottingham. It is part of the civil parish of Shardlow and Great Wilne, and the district of South Derbyshire. It is also very close to the border with Leicestershire which follows the River Trent, ...
in Derbyshire. This log boat is now in Derby Museum and Art Gallery
Derby Museum and Art Gallery
Derby Museum and Art Gallery was established in 1879, along with Derby Central Library, in a new building designed by Richard Knill Freeman and given to Derby by Michael Thomas Bass. The collection includes a whole gallery displaying the paintings of Joseph Wright of Derby; there is also a large...
.
Description
The log boat was discovered at the Hanson gravel pit in Shardlow, a village south of DerbyDerby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
in 1998. The boat was almost complete but was damaged slightly by the quarry machinery before its importance was identified. The boat was dated to 3500 bp. Sadly the boat had to be sawn into small sections so that it could be transported and conserved because it was so heavy. Much of the weight was due to damp which had preserved the wood and kept it from rotting. The wood was slowly dried at the York Archaeological Trust after it had been immersed for 18 months in poly-ethylene glycol, This chemical penetrated the wood and provided strength.
Unusually the boat still had a cargo of Bromsgrove sandstone which had been quarried at Kings Mills
King's Mill, Castle Donington
King's Mill is the traditional crossing point of the River Trent between Castle Donington in Leicestershire and Weston-on-Trent in Derbyshire. The Mill was the farthest point that traffic from the River Humber could progress. A lock was installed here to make the river navigable but the business...
nearby. The stone is presumed to have been destined for strengthening a causeway across the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
.
The boat completed its conservation at a cost of £119,000 and is now in Derby Museum. A second log boat was also discovered at the quarry five years later but it was reinterred in order that it could be preserved.
The display at Derby Museum also includes metal finds that were also found due to the quarrying at Shardlow. The items mostly date from the Middle Bronze Age and were usually found by metal detectors on the quarries conveyor belts although in one case the artefact was identified by a customer of a bag of sand and it was then possible to trace down the supply chain back to Shardlow quarry. The spear head illustrated is thought to be of design influenced by Irish art and is considered to be a decorative rather than practical spear head. The number of finds of axes and broken rapiers is thought to be due to religious offerings where valuable items were thrown into the water.