DORSET, England — The wooden spade was discovered during archaeological excavations by Wessex Archaeology for The Moors at Arne project. Archaeological excavations taking place as part of the project have led to the discovery of an extremely rare and near complete prehistoric wooden spade. Preliminary scientific dating confirms it is around 3,500 years old, making it Bronze Age and one of the earliest wooden tools to be discovered in Britain. 

The spade would likely have been a precious tool and a great loss to its prehistoric owner and provides physical evidence of the relationship humans have had with this challenging waterlogged landscape for thousands of years. It is extremely rare for organic material like wood to survive in the ground for this long except in exceptional circumstances. It is thanks to the waterlogged condition of the ground at this site, on the edge of Poole Harbor, that the spade has survived for over 3,000 years. 

“The moment the spade started to be uncovered the team on site knew it was a very special object and now we’re able to analyze it here in the laboratory, we’re starting to reveal its story," said Ed Treasure, from Wessex Archaeology who led the environmental analysis of the spade. "It’s made of oak and radiocarbon dating of the wood itself confirms it is c.3500-3400 years old, placing it firmly in the Middle Bronze Age. Further scientific dating will shine more light on when the spade was made. This is an incredibly exciting moment and we’re looking forward to finding out more as the process unfolds”   

The spade has been hewn from one solid piece of oak, it is likely to have taken someone many hours of manual work to create. This would have made it a precious tool to a prehistoric person and one that could be reused and refashioned for other purposes if broken or damaged, making the incredible survival of this piece even more fascinating. Although fragile, the spade offers a rare glimpse into how humans have worked with the opportunities and challenges presented by this landscape for millennia. 

“We're working across a vast landscape that is dominated by nature with very little to suggest to the naked eye that much human activity has taken place here. However, just beneath the surface we've uncovered evidence of the ways humans have cleverly adapted to the challenges presented by this particular environment for over 3,000 years," said Greg Chuter, the Environment Agency archaeologist leading the program. "The spade is a fascinating part of the story and as research continues we're looking forward to exploring the relationship between the spade and the ditch, and what else they can tell us about life here 3,000 years ago.” 

It is hoped that ongoing research will help us to understand the role that these wooden tools played and the similarities and differences in their use.