MONMOUTH, WALES—Oak timbers that may have been part of a Neolithic log boat have been unearthed at a construction site in Wales. Steve Clarke of Monmouth Archaeology told Wales Online that he expected the partially burned timbers to date to the Bronze Age, since a Bronze Age settlement had been discovered nearby. But radiocarbon dating suggests that the timbers are 5,000 years old. “There are cut features which appear to make it a complex craft and one that may be unique in maritime archaeology,” he said. Clarke explained that the largest of the pieces of wood may be a gunwale. It has an oval-shaped hole that was broken open, perhaps from the pressure of a rope. It also has a deep groove that may have held a central steering oar. A second timber, which also has a hole that exhibits signs of extensive wear, is thought to be part of the hull. The hole may have been used to attach an outrigger. To read more about this period, go to "Neolithic Europe's Remote Heart."
