New research reveals true age of boat

CARBON dating has revealed that a log boat known as the Godney Canoe dates from early medieval times rather than the Iron Age as commonly thought.

The canoe was discovered in 1892 during ditching work, as one end of the canoe projected out into the ditch. The canoe is in a partial state of preservation and is five metres long and 600mm wide. The canoe was made from a mature oak tree, more than 150 years old.

The fact that it was found just 100 yards from the Glastonbury Lake Village led historians to believe it was much older. A canoe of this size could probably accommodate up to a maximum of three paddlers. Reconstructions of the slightly larger Shapwick canoe have shown that it could accommodate four adults.

The canoe – dating from the 6th or 7th Century – is the only known example in Somerset and is owned by the Glastonbury Antiquarian Society which has taken on the lease of the Glastonbury

Tribunal, where it is on show. It opened the tribunal as the Glastonbury Museum last May. However, the building – owned by English Heritage – is currently closed for essential repairs. A date for reopening has not been set.

The society owns all the artefacts which are on display in the tribunal –including finds from the village lake –along with many boxes of pottery and other artefacts which are in store with the

Preliminary work and a short report on the boat was carried out on behalf of the society by Richard Brunning, from South West Heritage Trust, and funded by the Somerset Archaeological & Natural History Society Maltwood Fund. Radiocarbon dating was carried out by Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre.

For details, visit: www.glastonburyantiquarians.org