Ships timbers

Ship's Timbers

If you go to old harbours at the seaside today you might see bits of old boats rotting away on the shore.

Archaeologists have found part of a worn out medieval boat near the river in York. When the boat fell to pieces, this bit was recycled and was used to make the edge of the riverbank firmer.

Conservator working on the timbers

When they were cleaned up we could see how the planks of wood had been joined together with special iron bolts called clench bolts and wooden pegs called trenails to make the boat.

Animal hair had been covered with tar and pushed in between the planks to stop water leaking through the gaps.

We think these timbers were part of a small trading ship which sailed cargoes up and down the coast and along rivers in the 1200s or 1300s.

You can see the timbers in a special exhibition 'Viking Voyagers' at JORVIK in York until February 2003.