Iron Age Log Boat

In 1904, while digging a canal in order to prevent the Dyle river from flooding the city centre of Mechelen (B) time and again, workers discovered a large piece of wood at a depth of about five meters. It turned out to be the remains of a prehistoric log boat, measuring at least 8.40 m in length. As a result an archaeological excavation was organized by baron de Loë, director of the Nationale Dienst voor Opgravingen/Service National des Fouilles.

Along with it the remains of a Late Iron Age settlement were found: the remains of at least five huts (pile dwellings), made from different kinds of wood and constructed on a sort of artificial island, objects carved from deer horn, metal tools (a fishhook and a horse’s harness), part of a wooden ladder, amber beads, a fragment of a grindstone and fragmented pottery resembling the La Tène vessels with sharp angles from the Marne region, France. Also human remains were found (at least five individuals), as were lots of animal bones (dog, pig, wild boar, goat, sheep, cow and horse).

Most of the organic objects were extremely well preserved thanks to the wet conditions provided by the marshy soil at Nekkerspoel, the little hamlet just outside of the Mechelen city centre were they were found. The log boat was taken to the Koninklijke Musea voor Kunst en Geschiedenis/Musées Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire (Royal Museums for Art and History) in Brussels (B) where it was dried, treated with beeswax in order to conserve it and put on display.

Now, more than a century has passed and the boat is still kept at the museum, but it’s no longer on display because of its poor state. However, the Mechelen board of mayor and aldermen has decided that the city would provide the necessary funds to restore the boat using 21th century know-how, but only if an arrangement could be made to display it in the city’s museum.

The municipal archaeology service was appointed the task of bringing back the Nekkerspoel log boat to its place of origin. You can follow the progress of its homecoming on this blog. So far, in the company of the curator we’ve paid a visit to the museum’s storage facilities where the boat is kept, we sent an official request to the director of the KMKG/MRAH and we are setting up a project team of key people that will make the necessary arrangements, covering paperwork, restoration, transport, display and publicity.

To be continued…

The Nekkerspoel Log Boat in 1904