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Wessex Archaeology has recently discovered one of the oldest and most complete wooden tools ever found in Britain.

Bronze Age Spade — Photo: Wessex Archaeology

The ancient spade was found during archaeological excavations near Poole Harbour.

Only one other Bronze Age wooden tool like this, has been recovered in Britain.

Antiquarians excavating an ancient mine in Cheshire in 1875 uncovered a long, leaf-shaped item later named the ‘Brynlow Shovel’.

According to Wessex Archaeology, organic materials like wood rarely survive for extended periods underground unless preserved under extraordinary conditions.

At this site near Poole Harbour, the waterlogged soil has created the perfect environment for this wooden spade to endure for thousands of years.

Initial scientific analysis indicates that this remarkable artefact dates back to the Bronze Age, making it one of the oldest wooden tools ever unearthed in Britain.

During the Bronze Age, the area around Poole Harbour looked significantly different from today.

The landscape was defined by its waterlogged terrain, tidal marshes, and shifting shorelines, which made it both a challenging and resource-rich environment for the communities living there.

Poole Harbour, one of the largest natural harbours in the world, provided an abundance of natural resources, including fish, shellfish, reeds, and peat, which were essential for survival and everyday life.

Archaeological evidence suggests that Bronze Age populations may not have lived permanently in the immediate area due to the marshy conditions and seasonal flooding.

Instead, they likely used the harbour and surrounding wetlands for seasonal activities, such as hunting, fishing, grazing livestock, and harvesting raw materials like reeds for thatch or peat for fuel.

The spade serves as a tangible link to the ingenuity of ancient humans, showcasing their ability to adapt and thrive in a challenging, waterlogged landscape over millennia.

Back then, spades and similar tools were essential for various tasks related to farming, construction, and resource management.

They were likely used to break up soil for planting crops in areas where the ground was not too hard or stony.

And in areas prone to flooding or drought, they could have been used to create small ditches for water management.

In wetland areas like the Arne Moors near Poole Harbour, spades could have been used to cut and extract peat, which was dried and used as fuel for cooking and heating.

Wessex Archaeology’s Environmental Archaeologist, Edward Treasure led the analysis of the spade.

He said: “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 analyse it here in the laboratory, we’re starting to reveal its story.

”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.

”This is an incredibly exciting moment and we’re looking forward to finding out more as the process unfolds.”

Carved from a single piece of wood, the tool would have taken countless hours of painstaking craftsmanship to create, making it an invaluable tool for its prehistoric owner.

Its design allowed for versatility, meaning it could have been repaired, repurposed, or reshaped if damaged.

This adaptability makes its remarkable preservation through the ages even more extraordinary.

By the Middle Bronze Age, communities across Britain had established rural agricultural lifestyles resembling patterns we recognise today, with farmsteads, villages, and organised field systems.

However, evidence suggests that the area where the spade was discovered was not home to a permanent settlement.

Instead, archaeologists propose that the site may have been used seasonally.

At that time, the Arne Moors were subject to seasonal flooding in winter, followed by drier conditions in summer.

These cycles likely made the area a valuable resource hub for Bronze Age people.

It may have been used for cutting and drying peat, grazing livestock, hunting, fishing, harvesting rushes for thatching and basket weaving, or even small-scale crop cultivation.

The spade was uncovered within a circular ditch, which might have served multiple purposes, such as drying materials or safeguarding resources vital to the community’s survival.

Reacting to the news on social media, RSPB Arne and Weymouth Wetlands said: “It’s been thrilling to uncover the history of The Moors at Arne as we work towards saving more nature in Dorset with our partners.

”The Moors at Arne is located near @RSPBArne and will see grassland transformed into salt marshes and a saline lagoon.”

We recommend following Wessex Archaeology for the latest updates and new discoveries.

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