Loose Howe; A North Yorkshire Log Coffin Boat Burial(s) Revisited

Abstract

Summary In 1937 a large barrow in north‐east Yorkshire was excavated by Mrs H. W. and Dr F. Elgee. A primary deposit comprising a ‘canoe’‐shaped log coffin and what were described as two ‘log boats’ or ‘canoes’ was uncovered beneath the mound. The burial did not survive; however, the ‘canoe’‐shaped coffin was found to contain an Early Bronze Age Merthyr Mawr‐type dagger, flints and some hazelnuts. Subsequently, a cremation was inserted into the top of the mound. This was accompanied by a Camerton‐Snowshill‐type dagger, a stone battle axe, a copper alloy pin, an accessory vessel and fragments from a Collared Urn. As part of a log coffin radiocarbon‐dating project, one of the hazelnuts was radiocarbon‐dated to 2008–1772 cal BC (95.4%) and a fragment of cremated bone from the secondary burial was dated to 1890–1741 cal BC (93.2%). This paper discusses the dating results and reconsiders the interpretation of the log coffin as a boat.

The Early Bronze Age Log Coffin Burials of Britain: The Origins and Development of a Burial Rite(s)

“…The biological sex of the burial is not known, however, radiocarbon dating of the hazelnuts produced an estimate for the date of the burial in 1975–1865 cal bc ( 64% probability , or 2015–2000 cal bc 2% probability , or 1850–1770 cal bc 30% probability ; SUERC-69042 ; Fig. 3; Jones et al 2019). A re-evaluation of the site archive suggests that the barrow made have been disturbed and there were in fact two log coffin burials in the mound, only one of which was associated with artefacts.…”