Series: WARP Occas Pap

A festschrift volume marking Ted Wright's contribution to boat and wetland archaeology. The opening paper, `Logboats of the 6th millennium BC discovered in Switzerland' by Béat Arnold (5-8), details the oldest examples found in Switzerland. `Intertidal archaeology at Goldcliff in the Severn estuary' by Martin Bell (9-13) reports work in the area which has produced evidence of Mesolithic activity, BA boat planks, and IA rectangular building remains. `Naval architecture can sometimes fill the gaps' by John Coates (14-16) applies the principles of naval architecture to the reconstruction of ancient vessels. `Roos Carr and company' by Bryony Coles (17-22) details evidence for prehistoric wooden anthropomorphic figures from Roos Carr (Humberside), Misson-Haxey (Humberside), Strata Florida (Dyfed), and Ickham (Kent). `Boats on the rocks' by John Coles (23-31) considers rock art as a source of information for BA boats in Scandinavia. A paper on an American site is followed by `The Nydam ships: old and new investigations at a classic site' by Øle Crumlin-Pedersen & Flemming Rieck (39-45) describing events surrounding the Nydam boats, from discovery in 1863. `The Humber wetlands project: an archaeological assessment of the Humber Basin lowlands' by Paul Davies & Robert van de Noort (46-8) outlines objectives including the history of the wetlands, sites and finds, preservation potential, threats to preservation, and future work. `A winged cleat from Hartlepool' by Valerie Fenwick (49-51) describes an oak object found in 1969 and thought to be a little cleat, possibly of Neolithic date -- although this cannot be confirmed. `Expanding oak logboats -- is it possible' by Edwin Gifford (52-3) reports tests to investigate the suitability of oak for this form of boat. Despite being thought too hard a wood to be stretched, it was found that young oak can be successfully bent or straightened. Further work is expected. A paper concerning work in China is succeeded by `A side rudder from the London waterfront' by Damian Goodburn (56-60) which reports an unusual find from the Vintners' Place site, of an oak side rudder dating to about AD~1000. `A perspective from Porlock: the maritime potential of the Exmoor coast' by Veryan Heal (61-4) considers coastal activity ranging from the Mesolithic to present day. `Museum display of early boat finds' by Gillian Hutchinson (65-7) considers how enthusiasm and interest can be communicated to the museum visitor. This is followed by a paper on boats of the Indian Ocean which is itself followed by `Tales from the riverbank: Bronze Age palaeochannels in the alluviated Nedern Valley at Caldicot Castle Lake, Gwent' by Nigel Nayling (72-6). Here, work on a five-year project, still in process, is described including some interim results. `The rescue of Dover's Bronze Age boat' by Keith Parfitt & Valerie Fenwick (77-80) tells the story of the 1992 discovery of the BA boat and its subsequent speedy recording and recovery in advance of continuing development. `Use, re-use, or pre-use? Aspects of the interpretation of ancient wood' by Francis Pryor & Maisie Taylor (81-4) widens the approach to ancient wood use to include properties other than the functional/technological. Finland forms the focus for the following foray, and finally `Links between sea and land' by Christer Westerdahl (91-5) considers cultural/ritual connotations of slate T-formed implements associated with boat-building in Finland/Sweden. A list of contact addresses for the contributors rounds off the proceedings.

After B J Coles's introduction, Edward Maltby (4-9) sets the scene for other contributors with 'Wetlands of the United Kingdom: character, values and threats', listing the UK sites named in the Ramsar Convention on wetlands of international importance, and pointing out that many of them have considerable archaeological ('heritage') importance in addition. J M Coles (10-14) describes the organization of 'Archaeological survey in the Somerset Levels' over the last fifteen years, and David Hall (15-17) describes 'The Fenland Project'. Fuller detail is given by C A I French (18-22), 'The Southwest Fen Dyke Survey Project: an appraisal' while T J Wilkinson (23-6) gives an account of 'The archaeological survey of coastal and estuarine wetlands' with some emphasis on Essex. 'The Humber Wetlands Project' is taken by D R Crowther (27-8), while Stuart Needham (29-34) examines 'River valleys as wetlands: the archaeological prospects' with particular reference to the Thames. Christine Howard-Davis (35-9) describes 'The North-West Wetlands Project' for Cumbria-Lancs-Gtr Manchester-Merseyside-Cheshire (and see 89/100), and a 'twin' for an Italian wetlands project is noted by H Blake. 'Romney Marsh' is noted by Jill Eddison (41). More general matters follow. D N M Donoghue (42-5) contributes 'On the role of remote sensing techniques in wetland archaeology' (eg multispectral scanning), while M R L Hall (46-7) writes on 'Water authorities and wetland conservation'. 'Forestry, agriculture and water' is D Morgan Evans's subject (48-50), and J M Coles sums up in 'The organisation of wetland archaeology in the English countryside' (51-4), listing basic requirements for wetland projects and suggesting ways to involve local volunteers.