Bronze Age wooden coffin ready for display – History Blog

After years of conservation and reconstruction, the massive Bronze Age wooden coffin discovered in 2018 during hydroponics work at Tetney Golf Links in East Lindsay has been transported to its new permanent home at Lincoln Museum and will be put on public display for the first time.

The coffin was carved from the trunk of an oak tree about 4,000 years ago and contained the remains of a relatively tall man (5 feet 9 inches) who was in his late 30s or early 40s when he died. Osteological examination of his bones revealed that he had osteoarthritis due to a lifetime of heavy manual labor. He was buried with a miniature battle ax, the stone still mounted on the intact wooden handle and in like-new condition.

The coffin was 10 feet long but was found broken into several pieces in the muddy soil. The largest piece was nearly eight feet long and weighed half a ton. To prevent them from quickly drying out and crumbling to dust if exposed to the air after their discovery, the pieces were placed in cold storage at the Mary Rose Trust in Portsmouth for a year. They were then transported to the York Archaeological Trust for stabilization, conservation and reconstruction.

Further analysis and research has been led by an independent team of experts and the coffins provide a valuable glimpse into complex Bronze Age burial practices.

Investigation of plant and pollen remains found inside the coffin revealed that the man had been placed on a bed of oak and yew branches with a wreath of flowers around his neck. Hazelnuts and other plants may be part of the diet.

Tetney’s coffin was moved to the Lincoln Museum last week. Museum conservators are now reading the casket for display, stabilizing it in the new space and creating a custom support structure for its long-term exhibition.

The Lincoln Museum will close in October 2024 for extensive reconstruction. Every artifact on display was moved to secure storage to make way for a complete redesign of the archaeological galleries. The new gallery will feature interactive displays allowing visitors to experience Lincolnshire’s history and prehistory in an immersive and first-hand way. The Tetney Coffin will become the flagship attraction when the museum’s refurbished archeology gallery reopens next year.