L0.The Humber, its sewn-plankboats, their contexts and the significance of it all
Roherl Van de Aloorl
Introduction rcr.isitsthc scu'n-planli boats of thc l lumbcr cstlr,rr\', 'l'hc u'orlcl of prchistoric maritimc archacologr, in particular thosc at lrcrrilrt, ancl l.,ilnsca, ancl thcir rcmains somcu'hat rcmotc from thosc omctitioncrs lanclscapc contc\ts. In cloinq so, it airns rt qrininq u.ho arc safclv basccl u'itl-r ru.o icct on thc lancl. ln unclcrstanclir-rs thc significancc of thc boats, thcir rcccnt major contributir)rls to thc studr, of boats usc ancl thcir rclationship to socio-cconomic changc (c.u. NIc(irail 2001), u'c lcarn mr-rch about the ir-rthc I',arlv Bronzc r\gc. This papcr aclclrcsscs thc tcchr.rologvof shipluilding ancl thc practical aspccts Ilun-rbcr cstLlar\; thc scu'n-planli boats from thc of Lrsing boats in prchistor\-, but u'c fincl vcn' littlc rcgion ancl their lanclscape contcxts, bcforc hcrc or-r u.hat thc significancc of boats, transp()rt consiclcring u'hat ncu' iniormatior-r has bccn ancl sc:riaril-Ig\\::rs t( ) p.rst societics in tcrtns of socio- obt:rincd from this apprurach. political 'lncl ccor-ror-nicaspccts of lifc. (,onl'crsclr; ()Lrr tcrrcstrial-basccl collcagucs happilr, cliscuss the The Humber... krr-rs-cltstancc crchangc of prcstigc uoocls and thc sprcacl oi intcllcctu:rl conccpts cluring prehiston' \\'c :rrc most forturi:rtc u'ith thc rich n-raritin-rc u'ithor,rt thc slishtcst consiclcration frrr thc craft ancl hcrit:igc Fromthc I lun-rbcrcstlr2uv ar-rcl its tribr-rtarics. thc marincrs that cnablccl such proccsscs in tl-rcfirst i\part from thc flarh.Bronzc '\sc scs'n-plankbo:rts placc (c.u. llarrctt 1994; llradlo' 1984). from North lrcrribt' and Kilnsc'.r,u'hich u'ill bc 'l'his papcr attcllpts to tal York A I N ,,lt Hull r_i ,T i.r ji. 5 I sewn-Plank o Logboats !t boats 4 Scotter '1 . 5 Appleby Ferriby 6 Brigg 2 Kilnsea 'raft' 7 withernsea 3 Brigg B Hornsea Ffu.10./ Locrr/ionrtf ,rll 9 Hasholme 10 SouthCarr prtlti.r/oic lntr/.r it /l.tc 0 20km ':-t | [ n nt Itc r lI:' tilru rd.r. ||||Ett::::a Tlte 1 [untltr, :ury-p/ank ltoa/.rtnr/ coulcxt.r o1 Brigg anclprchistoric logboats from Brigg, Applcbr,, boats are all of thc samc principlc clcsign.Tho' arc Scottcr, f lasholmc and clscu,hcrc,stucliecl and madc of oak planks stith bcr.cllcclcclgcs, sc\\rn publishcd to var\,ing stanclarcls(Fig 1{).1;Nlc(irail togcthcr using incliviclualstitches of 1'911.u,ithics and 1990; N{illctt and NIc(irail 1990). In part, thc u'ith an intcrnal svstcm of integratecl cleats and richncss of this rcs()Lrrceis thc rcsult of thc transversetimbers that providc risiditr, to thc hr-rll. 'fhc enthusiasmand pcrsistcnccof local archaeologists, rcmains of F1 are the most complctc and, most notabh' Tccl \\right, but natural frrrccs are fittinglr',this boat has rcccivcd most attcntion irom imoortant hcre too. maritime archacologists(Irig 10.2). l)cbatcs on thc Scr.eralrcscarch pruriccts unclcr thc l,ancl ()cean exacttcchnical dctails of thc boat, its rcconstruction lntcraction Stuclr,(1,()lS) umbrclla har.e recenth, and its pcrfrrrmancc arc ongoing anclu,ill probabli' adclresscdthc cnvironmcntalhistorv of the southern ncvcr bc rcsolvcclto thc full satisfactionof thc North Sca basin during thc Hokrccnc periocl. In participantsto this dcbatc.Ncvcrthclcss, it mav bc terms of thc cvolution of thc J]umber estuarl,2nd \\()rth rcpcating hcrc somc figurcs from-fohn (-oatcs its surrouncling rvctlands,this rcscarch has shc,s-n (1990),lr,ho on thc basisof onc of his thcorctical that the Ilumbcr bccamc a ticlalinlct arouncl(r(XX) reconstflrctionscalculatcs that thc boat cr>r-rlclrcach cal B(, (calibrateclracliocarbon vcars) and that a a maximum speeclof (r knots, and could havc c:rrriccl range of 'cutnrphic' u.ctlands,inclucling saltmarsh, a maximum load of 11 tons. Ir2 compriscsr rrcar- reedsrr,'ampand alclcr carr, cler.elopeclon thc complctc kcclplank, ancl F3 cor-rsistof the rcmains Humlrcr shorcs (Nlctcalfc el tl 2t)(\0).Br, thc F,arlv oi an outer bottom plank stitchcd to thc rcmains of Bronzc r\gc, thc highcst rcgularlvoccurring sca-lcvcl a kxr,'cst sicle strakc. (or mc:rn high u,atcr of spring ticles = N{l IWS'f) Rcccntlv, \vc succcssfullv rc-clatcclthc Fcrrilrv ()rdnancc 'Ihc $ras at or arouncl moclcrn Datum QD) boats (\\'right et a/ 2007). clucsr to obrain (e.g. [,ong cl a/ 1.998).SLrbscqucnt sea-level rise accurate datcs for [r1, Ir2 and F3 bccamc an rcsultcd in furthcr marinc transgressioncluring the important issuc u.ith thc grou,ing rcalisationthat first millcnnium B(-, thus burr,ing the oldcr cocktail of chcmicals,usccl clurins thc last sir 'cutrophic' u,ctlancls.Thc seu,n plank boats from dccadcs to conscrvc the Ferribv Lroats,maclc North lrcrribl ancl I{ilnsca \vcre fbur-rdjust belou. orevious tadiocarbr)n datcs unsafc ancl unrcliablc. modcrn ()D. \\tith refcrcncc to tlre Bronze r\gc fhc rc-clatinuplaccs F1, F2 ancl F3 in thc carlr, period sca-lcr,'cl,thcsc boats utcrc sulrmergeclbr-tidal seconclmillcnnium BC, thc F,arlvBronzc ,\gc, rathcr \r,atcrand thc scclimcr-rtsit containcclcluring high- t,r than the Nlidcllc Bntnzc Asc. F3 is nou' thc oldcst sprine ticlcs. ln othcr uords, thcsc boats clicl not knou.n plank-built boat in \\'cstcrn Europc, u,ith :r sink, but \\rcrc ()\renvhclmeclbv the \\rater u,hilst datc rangc of 2030-1780 cal BC. rcsting at thcir natLrrallancling placcs. Archacological Thc Iiilnsca boat plank u.as cliscor.crcclin 199(r evidencc,as pfcscntcclbclou; cortolroratcs such an during a fieldtrip of thc Hull Natural Histon, Socictv intcrprctation. on thc bcach of I{ilnsea, r. 4 km north oi Spurn Apart from thc cliscor.cricsof the boats c)\.era Point in Holdcrncss.Thc plank is prrbablt' part of period of 60 vcars,ancl thc rcscarchbv thc L()lS a keel plank or lou'er bottom strakc zrndthc rcmair-rs 'f1-rc gfirup, anothcr rcscarch pr I:js. /0.2 f-/ ,rtorcdtl /l.te \id/iona/ Maitintt JI rr sc u nt, C:reenu,iclt. against moclcrn c()nccpts of health and safcfi-, than \\'hat kir-rclof cars() could tlrcsc boats havc thcse boats u,ill pl:rinlv fail. But if u.c ask u'hethcr carriccl?\\'c knou.that pcoplc ctrsscclthe North Sea thcsc bo'.tts cor-rld har.c occasionallr' crossccl thc to tradc or crchangcgoocls, iclcas ar-rcl possiblr,peoplc North Sca, undcr the right s'erthcr c,rnclitions, than u'ith (-ontincntal lluropc cvcr sincc Rritain bccamc thc ansu'cr is most prcbablr, aifirmatir.c. Clivcn thc thc BritishIslcs, aficr r:6000 cal B(1.'fhc introclucion rcc()nstructccl pcrfrrrmancc of F'1, u.ith a spccd of of cadt,farrning must havc inr,olr.cclthc transport ctf 6 knots, it coulcl rc'.rch thc Dutch c()ast in just or-er secclco,'r-rfor crops ancl clomcs-ticatccl,.rnimals, 'Ihe 2rl hours from Spurn i)oint. sh<)ftcr cr()ssins alongsidcthe iclcasfrrr thc production of ncrl, tools from thc F,ast Anglian coast u.oulcl last merclr, 15 and thc construction of buildir-rgsancl krns barrorvs. hotrrs. If thc crcu'u'aitcd for favourablc u'incl, thc The clcarth of Ncolithic craft that coulcl havc been lattcr jor-rrncr, could be rcaclilr, achicr.cd during thc uscclfbr this transp()rtmust l>c,attributcd to a biasin honrs of light on zrsuitablc summcr's dar'. thc archacoloqicalrccorci. T lte | [tnber, .ren,n-p/tutk lno/.r tnd con/exl.r 93 Rl thc latc Ncolithic ancl thc Rronzc ,.\gc,peoplc continuccl to crch:rngc uoocls, iclcas ancl probablr, pcoplc across thc North Sca, but thc charactcr of thc long-clistancc cxchangccl commoclitics hacl changccl. In this pcriod, it ir-rcludecl a rar-rgc of prcstigc itcms, such urs Bcalicrs, claboratc flint daggcrs ancl carlr, bronzcs, ancl icu'cllcrv of eolcl, ambcr, jct ancl faicncc, rccor.crccl from Lrr-rrialsfrom both sidcs of thc North Sca (Ournliffc 2(X)1,2I3- 'rich 60). Thc cmerscncc of thc Lrurials', a term coinccl br, lilcmming (11)73),in latc Ncolithic and thc F,arlv Bronzc Agc Britain has bccn ccluatccl$rith thc rise of ncu. clitc groLrps in prchistoric communitics, or thcir manifcstation in the matcrial culturc (Bracllcv 1984). Thc matching clevekrpmenr of thc Rcakcr on cithcr sidc of thc North Sca has bccn frcclucnth' invokccl as a dcmonstration of the crchangc of iclcas ..rnclof clitc nctu.orks that dcr.elopcd or.cr much of u'cstcrn lturopc. r\t thc start thc sccond millcnniurn B(-, $rc notc an 'stcp,changc' important in thc cleposition of these Goldcliff cxotic artcfacts, u,ith thc u'calthicst gfavcs bccoming richcr still; thc richcst {rra\rcsfrom sou.thern F,nglancl clatcd to 2(XX)-1400 B(,. ancl thcsc rrrovidecl thc basis fcrr Stuart Piggot's c()nccpr,rf thc'\\'csscx (-uiturc'. \\'ithin thcsc gravcs, ambcr from thc Baltic Sca has bccn founcl rcpcatcclllr, and also carly bronzcs of apparcnt (,ontincntal ori{rin (Bcck ancl Shennan 1997; Rohl ancl Nccdharn 1998). Rich burials havc also bccn founcl in most rcgions of Irnglancl and Scotlancl. 'fhc re-dating oi thc Fcrribv boats prrx,idcs nou- sccmsprcbablc that it u'asusccl as surchfor much of lric. /0.J Locdliott of a conr.incing {Ir()up, togcthcr u.ith thc boats from thc prehistrtric pcriocl. lt s.as u.ell sitr,ratcclfor .ran,ttp/ottk lnat'.r in Kilnsczr, I)ovcr ancl (.aldicot 1 ((llark 20(\4; NIcGrail contactu,ith lir.ins pcoplc on thc l.incolnslrirc\\irlcls | : 4g/at t rl t ul ll: it/es. 1997), sugscsting that thc appcarancc of plank built on thc oppositesidc of thc Ilumbcr cstuar\,.It7,F2 boats in thc carlv scconcl millcnniLrm B(, is morc and Ir3 u,cre iound ir-rinterticlal crccl North Fcrribv contain littlc in tcrms oi significant monumcnts, incluclingbarnru,s. Nor cl,ru'c hlr-e anr erridcnceof the practicc of r.otivc clcposition of FERRIBY metal artefactsu.hich at this point ir-rtime cmcrqcs I t boat find F1 , F2 & F3 elseu.hcrcin llritain, albcit n()t vct at a sisniflcant BA {lint scatter scalc in thc Humber \\''ctlancls(l'Necclham 1988). BA V metal find (buld it bc that this :rrcahacl bccn set asidc,or \\'as E BA trackways (intertidal) lj wetland deposits treatccl differentl\', becausc of its impr)rtant functions in traclc and cxcl-rangc?Suugcstions that farming \\rasnot unclcrtakcn hcrc, firr cramplc to 0 1km rctain u.oodlancl fcsoufccs, appcaf urnfounclccl. Pollen analvsisfrom Nortl-r Fcrribr, ir-rclicatcsthat bt' HUMBEB ESTUARY c. ITOOcal B(1, trcc pollcn u'crc rclatir,elvrarc and u-oodlanclwas not cxtensivc in this arca, rcflccting the gencralpictr,rrc oi the Huml;er \\'ctlands (\Vright and (lhurchill 19(r5). Rcmains of hurdlc tracku-avshacl bccn notccl bv NQRTH SEA 'fcd \\right (199(D and clatcclto thc 17th ccntr-rn' Kingston upon BC. A rcconsfruction drau.ingof thc North Irerribi' Hull I itrrcshorc in the Bronzc Agc shou,s thc arrir.al of 'fhc Fcrribv 1 (lrig 10.5). clrau'insshou,s trackn,avs, madc oi rlrrr.en hurdlcs of hazcl, u,hich providc a semi-pcrmancnt lanclir-rgplacc, rcintorcing thc suggestionthat thc North Fcrribv iorcshorc \\rasonc siclc of the ctrss-estlrarl traffic. I u..oulcllikc to I -\ gucsrionthis rcpreserrtari,,n. I 20km \ During the Humber \\'ctlands Proiccr, sirnilar ttacli$/avs \\rcrc cxcar.:rtcdon thc ncarbv Nlclton Foreshorc,ancl likcu.isc clatcd to thc l\{idcllellrcnzc r\ge, in this casc thc 15th ancl 1,lth ccnturv B(,. 'fhesc lattcr tracku'ays u.crc founcl to have bccn staked into the grouncl at anglcs acr()ss tirrmer KILNSEA ( I intertidal creeks. )ur intcrDrctati()noi this It boat find - Kilnsea landscapcis that the tllcku-^r, pi, rviclcclan cffectivc @ ?henge or hengiform a BA barrow \\ra1r16, evacuatc lir.cstock to highcr and clrt'crgror:nd ^. BA flint scatters during spring high tidcs, u,hcn rhc saltmarshcs, V BA metal find \. 'Kilnsea outer limitsof the Fleet' cxcellent fcccling grouncls, u,crc flooclcd (c.u. \ran O tittoutcrops cle Noort and Flctchcr 2(X)1).ln thc pasr, rhis l-__lwetland deposits interprctation has bccn zrttackcdon the basis that cattlc uould ncvcr u.alk ovcr l-rurcllctracku.avs. It is 0 1km [.- -=-J tfue that the tracku'avs\\,crc practicalll' r-indamagccl, but this is clr,rcto tl-rcirvcrv short functional lifcspan; one period of high ticlccor-rlcl bc cnough rt, burrl rhe trackrval'bencath seclimcntsancl rcndcr it inr.isiblc Fig. /0.4 l-tu Xarilt ancl uselessto thc Bronzc r\gc farrncrs. I lou.cvcr, Irerrillymd IGln.rett.ritu.r icrllou,ingfecent cxpcrimcntal archacoloqv trials in lheir /mr/.rcapt: cortltxl. rirrgfrrrts,and u-hcrc dr-rringthc Flarlv llnrnze r\ge unclertakcnbr, l,,rctcr stuclent Sarah Bicluood, it is rich burials$'crc crcatcd (Nfanbr, 1980; 1988a). Somc clcar that modcrn l)cxtcr czrttlc,u,ithont cr.crhar,ing rich bcalicrburial grt\-es,contlining ambcr,arc also seen hurdlc tracku,avs()f u.ithout 2r1\rstr.,rrrr.u.- knon,r-ifnrm thc Yorkshire \\'olds, frrr cramplc at mcnt flom thc iarmcr, can usc and prrbabh, ,,r.".t Acklam \\trlcl and l.,cllvthorpc (Bcck ancl Shcnnan such structures u'ith()Lithcsltation t I lt Ltl lrv ,WI t)'i'8, :{lu ;7 / qT:*& € *=T.H ___ *?f- ,,1 )71€,_ o- s.:- e:&z ,\:t,r.-. *4t =-E> it\r a- -.{---: --- -2 2'-'' ,--e, -.=4"t'?)- --r'e'-' ., .r <]I*-*t;;l-f .,*j,*#tl- .-,,,-+'*=,)r,,,::'-'Yl:) -Jc 'q.. '/.ltt I:is. 10.5 trit'rtl af' I | ,rl \r,t'/lt lt'rrilt): t'cco tt.r /rr tc/ i at t rlrrt n,i r 49 14, foltr (.'rtlg (in II'iidtt NIII\\'S'f provcs tlrat thc tracklr.a\,s \\.crc ncver boats \\-21spart of cr,crr,clzrvlifc. 1990). contcmp()rart,u'ith thc boats. Nor clo u'c harrc anY Thc Iiilnsca plank u.as founcl ()n rhc bcach, othcr cr,iclcncc oi maritimc strLlcturcs on thc seau.ardfrom a clcr.clopinuclunc svstcm, br-rttlris forcshorc. llou'cvcr, if thc tracku.avs from North coastalkrcati \\'hcrc:rs little more can be said about thc boat monumcnts, finds or agricultr:ralactir.itics (as far as rcmains from hilnsca, its landscapecontert, and \\'c can tcll) of anr,thing extraordinan. happening particr"rlarh'thc north bank of thc Kilnsca Fleet, is here. ()n thc othcr hand, thc landscapcc()ntext of rich ar-rclclivcrsc. This is somcu,hatsurprising, as the I{ilnsea boat is that of monumcnts '.inclritual Holdcrncss rcgion it frrrms part of is particularlv activities,and u.ithin thc u,iclercontcxt of thc poor in terms of prchistoric monumcnts (l'l.{anbv I-lolclernesstegion s.hcrc such monumcnts ancl 'Ihc 1988). prchistoric lanclscapeat Iiilnsca actirriticsappcar abscnt,one is surch,iustificcl to call 'ritualisecl cmbodics uP t() 15(X)1,s215 of human activin. This this arca a small lanclscaoe'. activitl, is rcprcscntcd in thc archaeologicalrecorcl ()f coursc,this unclerstrrncLnq,,f thc lanclscapc bv a Neolithic housc and scvcral hcarths (NIackev context of thc tu,o boat sitcs cotilcl be to a cicqrcc 1998), a latc Ncolithic ot F,arlv Bronze Agc small coincidental. lt mav be, frrr cxamplc, thlt future hcngc, hcngi-form mc)nument or other circular archaeologicalcliscovcrics u.ill bring to light neu. stfucture, ancl tu,o F',arlvBr Europe, and frcquentlr,Bcakcrs. It is suggestcdhcre London: Ror,rtledge that thc introcluction of scu,'n-plankboats plavecla Clark, P (ed) 2004 T'Le[)ot'ttr lJran )t)(.tl(ril,\'rtr/lt.\'ra, Geological Socictt' Special Baillr', R (lharlcs ancl N \\'irrclcr (ccls), /lrrntrt l)ublication,97-1 1B ecor/1'ttartic.r,( )xbou': ( )xbou, \Ionoqrrphs, 47-5rl 'The \Iillctt, NI ancl\'lcGrarl, S 1990 archaeokrgt'of thc Van de Noort, R, Nliclcllcton,R, l.irxon, ,\ ancl Bar.liss,r\ 'Thc 'lr.ilnsca-bolf', H ash< rl mc boat', .-JrclL tte o /rlt i caI -/ou rn a /, 744, I*68 1999 anclson'rc inrplications irom Nccclham,S 1988,'Sclectivccleposition rn thc BritishEarlr, thc discor-cr,,of l',nslanclkolclcst plank boat', . lrt/rqtrifi, Bror-rzc,\s.c' , II:itrld, lrcltttca/0E,,20,229-48 73,131-135 Rohl, B ancl Ncedham, S 1998 T'lLecirtr/tt/ion of' nte/a/iu tlte \\'right, (- \\'ancl \\'risht, E \r 1939'Subn'rcrqcclboat at llritirlt BrouTt ,.1.qt:/ltt applicttion ol' /ettd i.rotopeatrt/1,.ri.r, Nrirth Iierribr'', . 1rt/iqti/1,13,349-354 [.onclon: Brrtish \h,rseum \\'rrght, L, \/ ancl(.hurchill, D trl 1965'T'hc b