Bronze Age coffin to go on show at museum

The coffin was made out of a hollowed-out oak tree

A 4,000-year-old Bronze Age coffin which has been "painstakingly conserved" has arrived at Lincoln Museum where it will go on show in a new gallery next year.

The 10ft (3m) coffin, made from a hollowed-out oak tree, was unearthed by chance at a golf club in Tetney in 2018 during work on a pond.

The 'Tetney Coffin' has undergone two years of conservation work carried out by York Archaeology with a £110,000 grant from Historic England.

Natalie Oliver, executive councillor for culture at Lincolnshire County Council, said the coffin was "one of the most extraordinary objects - both in terms of its archaeological significance and its physical scale".

When the coffin was unearthed, experts were astonished to find the remains of a man buried with a finely crafted axe, still with its wooden handle in place.

Historic England said the axe was more a symbol of authority than a practical tool and was extremely rare. It will be on display alongside the coffin.

The axe is extremely rare because the wooden haft survived as well as the stone head, experts say

An investigation of the plant and pollen remains found inside the coffin revealed that the man was laid on a bed of oak and yew branches and had a garland of flowers around his neck.

Hazelnuts and other plants may have formed part of a food offering.

Tim Allen from Historic England, said: "This discovery takes us to the moment in time when a man was lain to rest in a fragile landscape of woods, salt and marsh."

He said the team had acted immediately to preserve the coffin before it crumbled. The process, he said, was "painstaking".

The council said the move to Lincoln was a delicate operation that had required detailed planning and expert handling.

Oliver said the authority would be "delighted" to show the coffin and axe for the first time when the museum reopens - it is currently closed for redevelopment and will open in the new year.

She said: "I'd like to thank all the organisations who have worked so hard to protect and preserve this incredible piece of Lincolnshire's heritage - the landowner, the University of Sheffield, Historic England, York Archaeology, and of course, our dedicated museum team."

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