The Archaeology of the Hasholme Logboat

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Abstract
On the 29 July 1984 archaeologists engaged in a survey of the later Prehistoric and Romano-British landscape around Holme-on-Spalding Moor in East Yorkshire visited land at Hasholme which was being drained. Examination of the drainage works led to the discovery of fragments of a substantial logboat amongst timbers which had been removed from the fenland by the contractors after fouling their mole drainer. These fragments were rescued and their findspot (SE 822326) identified by the workmen. An excavation was organized by the first author in conjunction with Hull City Museums, to examine the remainder of the vessel, to investigate its context and establish its date. The spectacular and substantially intact remains of an oak logboat were located, excavated and recorded ‘in situ’ in co-operation with a team from the Archaeological Research Centre of the National Maritime Museum under the direction of the second author. The boat was raised and taken to the National Maritime Museum for study before being returned to Hull for conservation and permanent display. Post-excavation research demonstrates that the late Iron Age logboat is unique both in its preservation and in some of its constructional features. An examination of its context allows conclusions to be drawn about the changing environment of the area from the beginning of the fourth millennium B.C. to the first millennium A.D., and provides important new information about the coastline of the Humber area during the Iron Age. A tree-ring study has produced a new dendrochronological sequence for Eastern England for the years 699 to 323 B.C.