What a 3,500-year-old wooden spade tells us about bronze age life

Archaeologists uncovered one of Britain's oldest and most complete wooden tools—a 3,500-year-old spade—during excavations in the Arne Moors in Dorset. The remarkable find was made by Wessex Archaeology as part of The Moors at Arne project, an initiative aimed at restoring coastal habitats lost due to rising sea levels. The wooden spade, carved from a single piece of oak, has survived millennia thanks to the waterlogged conditions of the site, providing an unprecedented glimpse into the Middle Bronze Age.

The finding was reported on by The Independent, The Sun, and the Smithsonian Magazine, among others.

"I’d describe it as a once-in-a-career type find; it’s so rare it’s not something I’d even put on my bucket list that I’d like to find as an archaeologist," said Phil Trim, who led the recovery of the spade. Initially mistaken for a tree root, closer examination revealed it to be a nearly complete tool. "There was almost a moment of disbelief," recalled environmental archaeologist Ed Treasure. "It was quite immediately apparent that it was a piece of worked wood."

Radiocarbon dating confirmed the spade's age between 3,500 and 3,400 years, firmly placing it in the Middle Bronze Age, around 1500 to 1400 BC. "It's made of oak, and radiocarbon dating of the wood itself confirms it is c.3,500–3,400 years old," stated Treasure, who led the analysis of the spade. "This is an incredibly exciting moment, and we're looking forward to finding out more as the process unfolds."

The spade was found lying at the bottom of a circular ditch, known as a ring gully, which may have been used by Bronze Age communities for various purposes, including flood management or protecting resources. The Arne Moors, a significant area of wetlands and heathland on the edge of Poole Harbour, would have been prone to flooding in the winter months and then drying out over summer during the Middle Bronze Age. This seasonal cycle provided opportunities for prehistoric Britons to utilize rich natural resources. "We're very much thinking this is a seasonal use of this landscape," said Treasure. "It may also have been used to dig the ring gully in which it was found."

Evidence suggests that people visited the site seasonally, particularly in the summer months, to exploit local resources such as hunting wild animals, catching fish, and harvesting reeds for thatching and basket weaving. "So it lends itself to the theory that what they're doing is they're coming in during summer months to exploit some of the resources in that environment," explained Trim. "Whether it be the peat itself, or they're taking reeds for thatch, or any other items like that."

The preservation of the wooden spade is attributed to the waterlogged conditions at the site, which exclude oxygen and inhibit decay processes. "The spade has preserved due to the waterlogged conditions on the site," Treasure noted. "So unlike in a normal archaeological site, where organic remains like wood would disappear, they can become preserved for thousands of years, as this one demonstrates." Organic materials like wood rarely endure such extensive periods, making this find particularly significant. "It's a really rare opportunity to have had something preserved like this, to be honest," added Treasure.

The spade was carefully extracted by the field team and transported to Wessex Archaeology's laboratory for conservation. Specialists are now working to preserve the tool, including creating a 3D model. "Experts are now working to preserve this unique tool for the future, including the creation of a 3D model," according to reports. Future studies aim to provide further insights into how the spade was made and used. "We hope that further analysis by our specialists can start to unravel the story of what the spade was used for," stated the Wessex Archaeology team.

One possibility is that the spade was used for cutting peat, a valuable resource during the Bronze Age. "The spade itself would be a perfect tool for cutting peat," commented Dr. Andrew Trim. The spade's design, with a slightly lopsided blade allowing one-footed use, is reminiscent of later peat-cutting tools. The survival of the spade is particularly remarkable given that it could have been reused or reshaped for other purposes if broken or damaged. "The spade could have been reused and reshaped for other purposes if it broke or was damaged," making its preservation even more exceptional.

The discovery also offers parallels with only one other similar Bronze Age wooden tool found in Britain—the Brynlow Shovel, discovered in a Cheshire mine in 1875 and later radiocarbon dated to be nearly 4,000 years old. The rarity of such finds underscores the significance of the Arne spade in understanding prehistoric societies.

Peter Robertson, Site Manager of the RSPB Dorset nature reserves, reflected on the importance of the find. "The discovery of this incredible wooden spade really brings that history to life as you imagine someone fashioning and using it 3,500 years ago," he said. The RSPB has been steward of the site adjacent to its Arne nature reserve for nearly three decades, emphasizing the project's importance in preserving vital coastal ecosystems.

The Moors at Arne project, spearheaded by Kier for the Environment Agency, RSPB, and Natural England, aims to develop 370 acres of wetland habitats to compensate for those lost to climate change, particularly due to "coastal squeeze." As part of this initiative, Wessex Archaeology conducted extensive investigations across the site to uncover any underlying remains before the area is transformed into intertidal habitats.

Matt Phillips, a senior project manager at Kier, highlighted the broader implications of the work. "Ecosystems are facing increasingly severe risks," he stated. "Working on complex environmental projects like this gives us the opportunity to share fascinating insights into the past and explore what this means with communities today."

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq