Expo at Sunken Secrets

Young woodworker sharpening her skills
with an antler chisel and holly club on
seasoned cypress wood.

The outstanding day at Sunken Secrets (Fort Victoria, Isle of Wight) on August 22nd included demonstrations in woodworking using a variety of tools (stone, bone, antler, and wood) on a variety of different woods (ash, lime, oak, pine) in several different conditions (green, seasoned, and waterlogged). However, attendants didn't just passively observe; they actively participated in the scientific process by picking up those tools and having a go at Mesolithic techniques. Because measurements of wood chips and tool marks are so important to the project, it is equally important to note conditions of the woodworkers: age, gender, etc. These observations are generating a new way of seeing Mesolithic woodworking as involving a variety of different people – not just lumberjacks!

The Maritime Discovery Bus, a mobile museum exhibition made possible through the EU-funded Common Cultural Connections project, and the location at Sunken Secrets promoted a maritime context to the woodworking, emphasizing logboat construction, and the assemblage of worked wood from the underwater site at Bouldnor Cliff. For the first time ever, the conserved wood from Bouldnor Cliff was put on display at the museum, so visitors could see the 'real deal' before trying to recreate it outside!

Conserved wood from Bouldnor Cliff on display for the first
time ever at Sunken Secrets.

Perfecting the new exhibit.

Maritime Archaeology Trust's Maritime Bus and the Mesolithic woodworking expo side-by-side at Fort Victoria.

Participants could choosing the tools they wanted to experiment with before getting started.

Observers standing clear as this seasoned oak cross section is being chipped away.

Participants of all ages contribute to the experimental archaeology project underway.

Volunteers attack both ends of a seasoned cypress log.