Our wood technologist was kept very busy assessing and recording groups of wood from as far afield as Oxford Castle, Stansted Airport, Kings Lynn and Newcastle, as well as from YAT excavations nearer to home. Of greatest note, perhaps, was a contract funded by English Heritage, to record and conserve an important collection of prehistoric and post-Roman structural wood from the site of Burlescombe Quarry in Devon. This work will culminate in publication of the site, which makes this a particularly enjoyable and worthwhile project. A detailed examination and report was also made on the unusual medieval wooden ‘tabulae’ (ecclesiastical notice-boards) from York Minster, which may also result in publication.

On the marine front, we continue to treat a group of large ships’ timbers found during pipe-line laying in Dublin Bay, and also commenced a new contract with the Alderney Maritime Trust to conserve a large part of their collection of artefacts from the Alderney Elizabethan shipwreck site. It was a new challenge to conserve the varied types of objects involved, many of them composites, but we see a potential for maritime archaeology to be a major source of externally-funded work for YAT in the future.

Amongst several consultancies undertaken was a continuation of work on the Poole Iron-Age logboat which, after several years’ immersion in sugar solution, entered its post-treatment drying phase prior to display in the newly revamped Poole Museum. It was interesting work to design, set up and run the purpose-built insulated dehumidifying chamber and to monitor the boat as its water content gradually reduced. We were also pleased to be involved with the re-display of the Shardlow Bronze-Age logboat (see 2004-05 Annual Report) for Derby Museum, in collaboration with local firm Dick Raines Designs. Now properly mounted on a raised plinth with adjustable metal supports, the boat is both more secure and displayed with well-designed information boards and visuals.

Copyright © 2003–2006 York Archaeological Trust