The Meols Boat Project

Current Situation:

An extensive phase of consultation has been undertaken. Although the public would like to know the nature of the boat, its status/integrity is the overriding priority. Waterlogged blue clay – the environment in which it has been buried for centuries – is an ideal preservative stopping microorganisms from decaying the wood fibres, because of its “anaerobic” or oxygen free environment: this is called “preservation in situ” and once taken out of that environment the vessel becomes under severe threat. Following discussions with English Heritage and colleagues at Liverpool Museum, since the vessel is under no immediate threat it has been decided that no further action be taken.

In the future an evaluation may be appropriate. The boat may be under a longer term threat following the disturbance of 1938 – the radar profiles suggest it may no longer be completely sealed in waterlogged clay. The situation has been discussed in detail with international experts, namely Dr. Charlotte Björdahl at Stockholm – an expert on wood polysaccharide degradation and also conservators at York Archaeology, together with colleagues at the Grosvenor Museum, Chester. It seems though only a minimal amount of disruption and risk to the boat would be required to perform a small scale status evaluation and dating. The considered opinion of the experts is that risks would be there but minimal and they can be managed to reduce impacts upon the boat: a strong case could be argued for evaluation in order to determine significance of boat, current condition of the timber and identify any potential threat to continued preservation. Approximately only 50mg (milligrams) of material would be needed, and methods such as AFM (atomic force microscopy), SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and water content/density measurements/calculations would be made for the status evaluation of the wood fibres and complex carbohydrates that constitute them. Radiocarbon C14 or dendrochronology would be the technology used for the dating. At the appropriate stage in the future if this action was deemed appropriate then approval would be sought from English Heritage and the Railway Inn.

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS

TEAM/ ADVISORS

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