Graveney Boat

A well-preserved Anglo-Saxon timber boat found in 1970 in the Graveney marshes in Kent, England. It is the only vessel of this period from the British Isles which has left more than an impression in the soil. Radiocarbon and dendrochronology have effectively dated it to the late 9th century AD. The well-constructed Graveney Boat was a cross-Channel cargo; it has been restored and is in The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England.

The well-preserved timbers of an Anglo-Saxon boat found in 1970 during the drainage of the Graveney marshes in Kent. It is the only vessel of this period from the British Isles which has left more than an impression in the soil, and radiocarbon and dendrochronology have effectively dated it to late in the 9th century. The Graveney Boat was a cross-Channel cargo vessel probably converted later in its life into an estuarine barge with a flat plank keel. It was 14 metres long and well-constructed, with planking sealed by cattle hair. It has been restored and is now on display in The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.