A stunning find more than 3,000 years old, is now undergoing carefully conservation after being discovered at RSPB Arne near Wareham in Dorset, during work to create a new wetland visitor attraction.
The extremely rare Bronze Age spade is one of the oldest and most complete wooden tools to have been found in the UK and gives a unique insight into life in Purbeck some 3,000 years ago.

The wetlands at RSPB Arne are being reworked into a tourist attraction to spot wading birds
Ditches cut by Bronze Age people
The remarkable wooden spade was excavated by archaeologists during the creation of a new nature reserve for saltmarch birds called The Moors at Arne.
Experts from Wessex Archaeology said it was very unusual for organic material like wood to last for so long, and that it probably only survived for so long because of the waterlogged nature of the site.
It was found in a circular ditch in the middle of a 150 hectare site of low lying grassland, where it could have been left to dry.
It’s thought that Bronze Age people living in Swanage and Wareham would visit in the summer months, maybe to take peat for fuel, or reeds and thatch which they could use for building their homes and boats, or making arrows.

The moment that the 3,500 year old spade was discovered buried at Arne Moors

Circular ditches first cut by Bronze Age people were excavated on site
“It’s a really unique object”
Wessex archaeologist Phil Trim, who led the recovery, said:
“It’s a really unique object, to find something that’s wooden of that age. The area would have been very wet, even in the Bronze Age, and it was unlikely that people lived there full time – there is a lack of evidence of any domestic occupation.
“So our discovery lends itself to the theory that they are coming in during summer months to exploit some of the resources in that peaty environment – the spade itself would be a perfect tool for cutting peat.
“I’d describe it as a once in a career type of find, something so rare I wouldn’t even have considered putting it onto my bucket list that I’d like to find as an archaeologist.
“At first we thought that what we had found could be a tree root but that was followed by amazement when we realised that it was actually a tool, almost complete. It was indescribable, it really was an exciting moment.”

Archaeologist Ed Treasure said the spade would have been a precious tool to its prehistoric owner

The fragile Bronze Age spade was painstakingly uncovered before being carefully lifted out of the trench
Field team did a wonderful job
Environmental archaeologist, Ed Treasure said:
“The moment the spade started to be uncovered, the team on site knew it was a very special object and now we’re able to analyse it here in the laboratory, we’re starting to reveal its story.
“It’s made of oak and radiocarbon dating the wood itself confirms it is between 3,400 and 3,500 years old, placing it firmly in the Middle Bronze Age. This is an incredibly exciting moment and we’re looking forward to finding out more as the process unfolds.
“The spade was cut from one solid piece of wood and would have required many hours of manual work to create, making it a precious tool to its prehistoric owner.
“It could easily have been reused and refashioned for other purposes if broken or damaged, making the incredible survival of this piece even more fascinating.
“It was preserved due to the waterlogged conditions, which excludes oxygen and allows wood to be preserved for thousands of years. But it was also incredibly fragile – the field team did an amazing job to lift this out in one piece.”

A reconstruction of a Bronze Age settlement in Hampshire
A place to hunt and fish in summer
By the Middle Bronze Age, people across the country were settled into rural agricultural lifestyles that would be recognisable today, with farmsteads, villages and extensive field systems.
During this period, the fields around Arne would have flooded in the winter months, drying out over summer, allowing early Purbeck settlers to make use of its rich natural resources.
There is evidence of Bronze Age activity near Swanage, including the discovery of axe heads and burial mounds at Nine Barrow Down and near Corfe Castle which suggest that the area was occupied from about 6000 BC.
Neolithic and Bronze Age pottery and worked flint has been found around Wareham and in 2001, archaeologists excavated a Middle Bronze Age house and burnt mound at Bestwall Quarry.
Either or both settlements could have used Arne as a place to cut and dry peat in summer, as pasture for grazing animals, for hunting and fishing, gathering rushes for thatch and basket weaving, or perhaps cultivating crops.

Greg Chuter on site at Arne Moor where the Bronze Age spade was unearthed

A once in a lifetime find for the archaeologists at Arne Moors
“Wow – that’s amazing”
Greg Chuter, the Environment Agency archaeologist leading the programme said:
“We’re working across a vast landscape that is dominated by nature with very little to suggest to the naked eye that much human activity has taken place here.
“However, just beneath the surface we’ve uncovered evidence of the ways humans have cleverly adapted to the challenges presented by this particular environment for over 3000 years.
“At first, we didn’t find a lot in the 80 ring gulleys we excavated – just a few shards of pottery and some pieces of flint, and then the team came across this amazing find.
“When I heard about it, it made me sit back in my chair and go ‘wow, that’s amazing’. It’s the sort of thing that archaeologists very rarely find in a working career, and some they will remember for a long, long time.
“The spade is a fascinating part of the story and as research continues we’re looking forward to exploring the relationship between the spade and the ditch, and what else they can tell us about life at Arne Moors 3000 years ago.”

An artist’s impression of what the Arne Moors reserve will look like after completion
“We are excited for the project”
Peter Robertson, site manager of the RSPB Dorset nature reserves, added:
“It’s been amazing to learn about the history of the RSPB land at Arne Moors. The discovery of this incredible wooden spade really brings that history to life as you imagine someone fashioning and using it 3500 years ago.
“We have looked after the site, near to our RSPB Arne nature reserve, for around 28 years and are excited for the project to help protect bird species including redshanks, avocets, common terns, and sandwich terns.
“Without this work, this unique coastal landscape and its wealth of protected species could be lost in the future, and landscapes don’t get much more breathtaking than Arne, which is home to a huge array of wildlife.”

The spade was painstakingly cleaned and examined in Wessex Archaeology’s laboratories
Plans attracted much opposition
The Moors at Arne project by the Environment Agency, RSPB and Natural England, is expected to attract about 22,000 visitors a year once established.
When the Moors at Arne is complete, it will include disabled access, walking paths and bird viewing points, while the construction programme is also safeguarding the site’s rare plants and animals such as water voles and sand lizards.
It’s hoped the new reserve which is expected to open by summer 2026 will attract birds such as avocets, sandpipers, terns and storks and possibly rare European visitors like spoonbills, cranes and cattle egret.
Dorset Council granted planning permission to the Environment Agency for the project in January 2023, allowing grazing land to be returned to open water, helping to protect homes and property in the east of Poole Harbour from being flooded in the future.
It attracted much vocal opposition from Purbeck residents, not least as less than 20 parking spaces were proposed for the attraction, and that it might lead to the River Frome and Wareham Channel silting up, affecting boating businesses.

Low lying grasslands at RSPB Arne are being turned into a diverse intertidal habitat for wildlife
Watch the dig in progress
Further information
- Discover more about Wessex Archaeology finds on its website
- Explore the Arne reserve on the RSPB website