- Chapter Fifteen -
Figure 15.4 Relief on first-century AD Blussus monument (Mainz).
(Drawing: Landesmuseum, Mainz.)first-century AD coins (Figure 1 H) of the Celtic ruler Cunobelin found at
Canterbury and at Sheep en near Colchester (McGrail 1990b). This is some 500 years
before the first evidence for side rudders on vessels of the pre-Viking/Nordic
tradition of northern Europe (McGrail 1987: 244-6).
Rafts
In the first century Be Caesar (De Bello Gallieo I.I2) noted that the Celtic Helvetii
used log rafts to cross the river Saone, a tributary of the river Rhone, whilst the
Sugambri used them to cross the river Rhine (De Bello Gallico VI.35). Parts of two
log rafts dated to the second century AD were found at Strasbourg near the river
Rhine in 1938 (Ellmers 1972: 106, figs 83, 84).
Bundle rafts have not been excavated and as they are generally made of ephemeral
materials which can readily be reused, perhaps early examples will never be found.
However, simple rafts of reed bundles have been used in recent times on inland
waters in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe (McGrail 1987: 163) and it seems likely
that they were widely used in earlier times wherever reeds were readily available.
Logboats
Logboats - that is boats made by hollowing out a log and sometimes known as
'dugout canoes' - have been found throughout north-west Europe (McGrail 1978:
4-13). The circumstances of their discovery usually mean that dating by association or
by stratigraphy is not possible. Furthermore, research is insufficiently advanced at
present to permit accurate dating by technological criteria. It is necessary therefore to