Mesolithic Boat Build and Enclosure

[THOaken]

Hard day's work at Butser Ancient Farm today (9:15 to 5:30) and got quite a lot done in regards to the new Mesolithic area. Today I helped lift and sort hazel (for misc. constructions) and move the Scots Pine logs into place, which was certainly a team effort, and also dug a layered fire pit. You can see some of the photos on my Imgur account, if you'd like. They are the most recently uploaded photos. Indeed, for anyone who hasn't seem my Imgur account, I have uploaded photos of all the work I've done at Butser (4 pages) and also have albums for the East Lothian Countryside Ranger Service and Queen Elizabeth Country Park Rangers. I'll keep anyone who's interested updated using this thread. I can't be at the Farm everyday, but I'll do my best to fill in the gaps of progress. The work so far has been in preparation for the official start date, which is next Wednesday. I'm not sure how involved I'll be in this project as most of the work is done by certified (health and safety, of course) and knowledge people, of course, but every little helps.

This link should lead to my Butser Ancient Farm volunteering photos: https://imgur.com/a/CwcYs#0

Enjoy.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Great Pics THOaken. Those logs are a good size. I like the Hazel fencing, it's given me some ideas.

 

[THOaken]

Great Pics THOaken. Those logs are a good size. I like the Hazel fencing, it's given me some ideas.

Cheers, Colin. I like to think I have an intimate relationship with Hazel now, considering every day at Butser is sorting and building with Hazel day. All of the fences and most of the underlying structures to my knowledge are of hazel.

But yes, it's quite exciting to be here for the start of another boat project. I joined just after the last project. Particularly since this one's Scots Pine, my favourite tree and Mesolithic, the period in which I'm most interested. I should also clarify I think that there are two boats to be made, an experimental one, which I believe is rotting and is in lesser shape, and the other will be the proper attempt with the cleaner trunk.

Thanks.

 

[THOaken]

I wonder, is this the correct section for a thread like this? It feels like it should actually be in the DIY and Crafts section.

 

[Ahjno]

Hard day's work at Butser Ancient Farm today (9:15 to 5:30) and got quite a lot done in regards to the new Mesolithic area. Today I helped lift and sort hazel (for misc. constructions) and move the Scots Pine logs into place, which was certainly a team effort, and also dug a layered fire pit. You can see some of the photos on my Imgur account, if you'd like. They are the most recently uploaded photos. Indeed, for anyone who hasn't seem my Imgur account, I have uploaded photos of all the work I've done at Butser (4 pages) and also have albums for the East Lothian Countryside Ranger Service and Queen Elizabeth Country Park Rangers. I'll keep anyone who's interested updated using this thread. I can't be at the Farm everyday, but I'll do my best to fill in the gaps of progress. The work so far has been in preparation for the official start date, which is next Wednesday. I'm not sure how involved I'll be in this project as most of the work is done by certified (health and safety, of course) and knowledge people, of course, but every little helps.

This link should lead to my Butser Ancient Farm volunteering photos: https://imgur.com/a/CwcYs#0

Enjoy.

A shame you didn't put up those pics on here. The more people just bang on a URL to some page, the more BCUK will become a link portal, which is not the reason why Tony started the forum ... Post pics on here. Cope / paste a good blogpost you made on here. Help grow BCUK with content and input.

Nice pics though ...

 

[THOaken]

I'll put the photos on here then

 

[THOaken]

So the work begins on the boat, named The Eurybia. I know I titled the thread to include the mesolithic enclosure around the boats, but I'll just stick to the boat building reports for now.

Today was hard work, especially in the heat, but I'm quite proud of the effort I put in. Apparently the lead experimental archaeologist and volunteer leader was very impressed with my adze technique. I hadn't used one before. So the boat has been moved into place and the work has begun on the boats proper:

The day started by taking off the bark of the Pine log using a cow scapula as a scraper. I don't believe there is any evidence for this, but bone tools were a big part of the mesolithic, of course.

It was my task solely to remove the material, but eventually the job sped up as more people joined in.

Now using a bronze adze isn't authentic of course, but it gives the volunteers a chance to use different tools. The leaders were going to use a chainsaw, but we wanted at least to use prehistoric tools and so decided against it, even though the deadline is the end of August, I believe. I made sure that visitors understood that this part wasn't authentic and explained the situation.

Using adzes of different sizes to flatten the underside of the boat.

And here are three photos featuring me that have been uploaded to the official twitter account.

I hope you enjoyed looking at the photos.

 

[THOaken]

I wonder, could a mod move this to the Crafts section please?

 

[boatman]

The log that has some rot should make a great boat as well. Added flat transoms are well-documented for boats from rotten trunks in certainly the Iron Age.

Even in the Mesolithic there is evidence that hazel groves were coppiced that would have given more and better rods as well as the essential hazelnuts.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Great pics THOaken, I look forward to seeing the next stage.

 

[THOaken]

Thanks, Colin.

I'm not sure what the rules are on advertising, but here are a few other links to bookmark if anyone is interested.

http://www.theeurybiaproject.blogspot.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/theeurybiaproject?ref=stream
https://twitter.com/EurybiaProject

 

[THOaken]

Not much to say apart from I was at the Farm from 10 to 3 working more on flattening the underside of the boat.

Here you can see a definite improvement. It's getting there.

Your ungodly English heat means that volunteers had to rotate in a cycle and essentially drink the contents of the entire river Nile to stay conscious whilst working on the boat!

More updates to follow

 

[abominable_scouse_monster]

Man that is just awsome, for years I have been planning on building a small boat sadly not out of logs but Marine Ply but thread is giving me ideas.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Good stuff THOaken, keep it coming.

 

[THOaken]

Big event in terms of the boat project today. Having finally flattened off the underside, we moved on to using charred logs to burn and soften the wood of the topside of the boat, and then used an antler pick to scrape away the charred wood.

Measuring and marking the trunk so that we can see each specific area. I believe in each area, of which there are four, we will use different methods.

Using a burnt log and blowing on it. Once we got the experiment started properly, this wasn't really necessary as there was as a lot of residual heat.

The lead experimental archaeologist recording things and taking photos as we go.

Not the best photo, but you can see that we got it down a fair way today. That's not all of the log though and we did more than this. That's just the deepest area.

Thanks for looking.

 

[THOaken]

Two more photos of the day.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Great stuff THOaken.

 

[THOaken]

Great stuff THOaken.

Thanks again, Colin. I just wish the thread could be moved to the Crafts section as it's more suited there and it might attract a few more eyes to the project. I've asked a few moderators.

I'll be going back tommorow. I think we may be using scallop shells and a few other tools to hollow out the trunk.

 

[Toddy]

THOaken, Other Chatter is by far the busier forum.

Toddy

 

[Goatboy]

I'm really enjoying seeing how this is coming along. The only other one I've seen was when Belzeebob23 was involved in the Crannog one using bronze tools. The methods you're using will take longer but very much worth the effort.

She's a good sized stick that Scot's pine and there's a lot of work in there. Can't wait for the next instalment so please keep posting.

Great name too, Eurybia; a Greek sea goddess and also a from the Greek eurys meaning wide (she's big) and also from the genus including sunflowers and it's lovely and sunny while you work!

Looking forward to the next post,
GB.