Bronze Age Boat Discoveries at Must Farm

For the first time, visitors can see the rare Bronze and Iron Age log boats discovered near Must Farm, Cambridgeshire - now on display here at Flag Fen Archaeology Park and ready to welcome visitors from Saturday 15 November.

The Bronze Age Boat Discoveries at Must Farm exhibition showcases these extraordinary vessels, preserved for over 3,000 years beneath the Fenland peat and reveals the incredible skill and creativeness of prehistoric boatbuilders.

Unearthed by archaeologists from the Cambridge Archaeological Unit in 2011, nine boats were discovered on the riverbed of an ancient, silted-up creek near Whittlesey. After a thirteen-year conservation project supported by Historic England, Forterra, and Peterborough City Council, three of these vessels ('Dorothy', 'Alan' and 'Betty') are now carefully preserved and displayed in the new exhibition - Bronze Age Boat Discoveries at Must Farm in the museum here at Flag Fen.

The other log boats continue to be carefully preserved in climate-controlled conditions using a specialised wax and water solution. This can be seen in our Conservation Barn on site through glass viewing windows.

The exhibition Bronze Age Boat Discoveries at Must Farm includes:

Three original log boats dating from 2,500–3,500 years ago
Replica Bronze Age tools and detailed interactive displays
Film clips of expert interviews and demonstrations of ancient craftsmanship

These rare artefacts offer an unparalleled glimpse into life during later prehistory — how people built, travelled, and traded across the watery Fenland landscape.

“The Must Farm boats have lain undisturbed for over 3,000 years, preserved in the peaty silence of time. Now, through our new exhibition, they emerge to tell their story.”

- Jacqueline Mooney, General Manager, Flag Fen Archaeology Park

Images courtesy of Historic England Archive and Cambridge Archaeological Unit.

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