Rare Bronze and Iron Age Log Boats Go on Public Display for the First Time

Several exceptionally rare Bronze and Iron Age log boats—unearthed just upstream from the settlement often dubbed “Britain’s Pompeii”—have gone on public display for the first time. The vessels were discovered at the Must Farm quarry in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, during excavations carried out between 2011 and 2012.

Over the past decade, conservation specialists have painstakingly restored the ancient craft. Now, three of the nine vessels recovered from the site form the centrepiece of a new permanent exhibition at Flag Fen Archaeology Park in Peterborough.

“This is our heritage — this is what our ancestors were doing 3,000 years ago,” said general manager Jacqueline Mooney. “There is nowhere else in the world with such a large collection of prehistoric log boats… and they belong to us: the people of the Fens, the people of Peterborough.”

Must Farm, later excavated by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit (CAU), is renowned for its astonishingly preserved everyday objects, offering an unparalleled window into life in the late Bronze Age.

Visitors to Flag Fen can now see:

• A 6.3m (20ft 6in) Middle Bronze Age oak boat, exceptionally well preserved
• A 2.2m (7ft 2in) oak boat fragment, complete with a sophisticated ancient hull repair
• A 0.8m (2ft 6in) Early Bronze Age maple vessel fragment

According to CAU archaeological researcher Iona Robinson Zeki, the vessels demonstrate that these “simple yet remarkably effective boats” were used to navigate the fenland waterways for nearly a millennium. Dating from 2,500 to 3,500 years old, they also reveal the highly skilled carpentry techniques practiced by prehistoric craftspeople.

Mooney noted that it is astonishing to imagine these boats being carved from single logs using only bronze axes. “You can still see the axe marks,” she said.

The conservation project was funded by a range of supporters, including landowner and developer Fonterra, alongside major grants from Historic England (over £73,000) and Peterborough City Council (£49,000).

To stabilise the fragile timber, the boats spent a decade submerged in a mixture of water and polyethylene glycol (PEG) — a process known as peg waxing. “Once they are structurally sound, we drain them, dry them intensively, remove the wax, and then reassemble them so they regain their original shape,” Mooney explained. She praised conservator Mary Evans, who worked under the York Archaeological Trust, for her tireless commitment. “She spent countless hours holding tiny fragments of wood together — the work she has done is truly extraordinary.”

Historic England co-CEOs Claudia Kenyatta and Emma Squire described the boats as “an extraordinary window into our prehistoric past,” while Peterborough City Council leader Shabina Qayyum encouraged “everyone to come and visit.”

The exhibition, Bronze Age Boat Discoveries at Must Farm, also features replica tools, hands-on exhibits, and demonstrations of ancient craft techniques.