Archaeologists Uncover One of the Oldest Wooden Tools Ever Found in Britain

Wessex Archaeology

Today we’re delighted to announce the discovery of one of the oldest and most complete wooden tools ever found in Britain. The spade was discovered during archaeological excavations by Wessex Archaeology for The Moors at Arne project. This compensatory habitat scheme is being delivered by Kier on behalf of the Environment Agency and its project partners, RSPB and Natural England. 

It is extremely rare for organic material like wood to survive in the ground for this long except in exceptional circumstances. It is thanks to the waterlogged condition of the ground at this site, on the edge of Poole Harbour, that the spade has survived for over thousands of years.

One of, if not the Oldest Wooden Tool in Britain

Preliminary scientific dating of this astonishing find suggests it dates to the Bronze Age and is, therefore, one of the oldest wooden tools ever discovered in Britain. The spade provides physical evidence of the relationship humans have had with this challenging waterlogged landscape for millennia.  

Our Environmental Archaeologist, Edward Treasure, who led the analysis of the spade said:

“The moment the spade started to be uncovered the team on site knew it was a very special object and now we’re able to analyze it here in the laboratory, we’re starting to reveal its story. It’s made of oak and radiocarbon dating of the wood itself confirms it is c.3500-3400 years old, placing it firmly in the Middle Bronze Age. This is an incredibly exciting moment and we’re looking forward to finding out more as the process unfolds.”   

The spade has been hewn from one solid piece of wood and would have required many hours of manual work to create, making it a precious tool to its prehistoric owner. It could easily have been reused and refashioned for other purposes if broken or damaged, making the incredible survival of this piece even more fascinating. 

Delicate removal of the spade from the find site at Arne Moors in Dorset, England  (© Wessex Archaeology)

An Unlikely Find Spot

By the Middle Bronze Age, people across the country were settled into rural agricultural lifestyles that we might recognize today, with farmsteads, villages and extensive field systems. However, there is little evidence to suggest that there was a permanent domestic settlement where the spade was uncovered. Instead, archaeologists are exploring the idea that people were visiting this site seasonally. 

During this period, the Arne Moors would have been prone to flooding in the winter months, and then drying out over summer. This would have provided the opportunity for past populations to make use of its rich natural resources. It could have been used as a place to cut and dry peat, as pasture for grazing animals or for hunting, fishing, gathering rushes for thatch and basket weaving and perhaps cultivating crops. The spade was found in a circular ditch that could have served several functions, including as a means of drying or protecting those useful resources.  

Greg Chuter, the Environment Agency Archaeologist leading the program said:

“We’re working across a vast landscape that is dominated by nature with very little to suggest to the naked eye that much human activity has taken place here. However, just beneath the surface we’ve uncovered evidence of the ways humans have cleverly adapted to the challenges presented by this particular environment for over 3000 years. The spade is a fascinating part of the story and as research continues, we’re looking forward to exploring the relationship between the spade and the ditch, and what else they can tell us about life at Arne Moors 3000 years ago.”

This 3,500-year-old spade or shovel is one of the oldest wooden tools ever found in Britain. (© Wessex Archaeology)

An Incredibly Rare Example

Only one other Bronze Age wooden tool like this, has been recovered in Britain. Antiquarians excavating an ancient mine in Cheshire in 1875 uncovered a long, leaf-shaped item later named the ‘Brynlow Shovel’. It is hoped that ongoing research will help us to understand the role that these wooden tools played and the similarities and differences in their use.  

The spade was uncovered during archaeological excavations for The Moors at Arne project, which is adapting over 150 hectares of land into a diverse wetlands habitat. This type of habitat is being lost in other areas of Poole Harbour due to ‘coastal squeeze’. This is a term used to describe the effect of rising sea levels coming into contact with man-made structures such as flood defenses and the subsequent loss of valuable intertidal habitat such as mud-flats and salt marsh. 

Matt Phillips, the Senior Project Manager leading the project for Kier, added: 

“The current climate challenge poses increasingly severe risks for coastal ecosystems and coastal communities all around the globe. The archaeological story of The Moors at Arne gives us an incredible understanding of how people lived thousands of years ago and adapted to change. Working on complex environmental projects like this, gives us the opportunity to share fascinating insights into the past and explore what this means with communities today.” 

Peter Robertson, Site Manager of the RSPB Dorset nature reserves, added:

“It’s been amazing to learn about the history of the RSPB land at Arne Moors. The discovery of this incredible wooden spade really brings that history to life as you imagine someone fashioning and using it 3500 years ago. We have looked after the site, near to our RSPB Arne nature reserve, for around 28 years and are excited for the project to help protect bird species including Redshanks, Avocets, Common Terns, and Sandwich Terns. Without this work, this unique coastal landscape and its wealth of protected species could be lost in the future.” 

As work continues, the team look forward to generating new knowledge about the impact of the environment on this landscape through time, and a better understanding of the way humans have worked with the challenging conditions it has presented for thousands of years.

Top image: Archaeologists holding the 3,500-year-old wooden spade.                Source: © Wessex Archaeology

This article was originally published under the title, ‘Archaeologists uncover one of the oldest and most complete wooden tools ever found in Britain’ by Wessex Archaeology as a press release, and has been lightly edited and spelling Americanized.