The team of archaeologists coordinated by Dr. Anton Veluscek during excavations in 2002 found a prehistoric wheel with axle and some other wooden artefacts.

The age of the wheel is 5100 years or more. The dating is based on radiocarbon dating of the laboratory VERA in Vienna, Austria.

A reconstruction of a prehistoric cart has been made.

5100 years ago the civilizations from the near east already used the wheels, but none of them has been preserved until today.

The wheel has been made out of two radial boards of ash-wood. The axle was made of oak wood. The wood was processed with stone tools.The artefact shows that the prehistoric men from the Ljubljana Moor understood wood properties very well. They processed and used wood in an optimal way.

In the Ljubljana Moor there were found several canoes. The dugout found in 2002 has been made of one oak stem. The elaboration of wood was of high quality.

The canoe has been dendrochronologically cross-dated with a chronology of Stare Gmajne, the dwelling where it was found.

The dating of the canoe is 3200-3100 BC.

The picture shows the oldest bow made of wood of yew (Taxus sp.) aged 5800 years.In the period when it was made bows were regularly used weapons.

The bow is exceptionally well preserved. Such founds are extremely rare.

The archaeological wood seems to be well preserved when excavated but its properties differ considerably from those of normal wood.

The predominant chemical constituent in archaeological wood is lignin (approx. 70%). The amount of cellulose and hemicelluloses is considerably reduced.

Physical properties of wood are changed as well – exceptionally its shrinkage.

The picture shows the water-saturated disc of wood (upper picture) as found in the field. After 5 days (middle) it shrank considerably. After 21 days (lower picture) it was completely collapsed. The wood lost its research potential.

We must prevent desiccation of water-saturated wood. The wood can be stored in polythene bags.

1. ČUFAR, Katarina, TIŠLER, Vesna, GORIŠEK, Željko. Arheološki les - njegove lastnosti in raziskovalni potencial. Arheol. vestn., 2002, letn. 53, str. 69-76.

2. VELUŠČEK, Anton, ČUFAR, Katarina. 5600 let star lok z Ljubljanskega barja. Gea (Ljublj.), jan. 2001, letn. 11, št. 1, str. 48-49.

3 . VELUŠČEK, Anton. Ostanki eneolitskega voza z Ljubljanskega barja. Arheol. vestn., 2002, letn. 53, str. 51-57.

4 . VELUŠČEK, Anton. Ein Rad mit Achse aus dem Laibacher Moor. V: KÖNIGEN, Joachim (ur.). Schleife, Schlitten, Rad und Wagen : zur Frage früher Transportmittel nördlich der Alpen, (Hemmenhofener Skripte, 3). Freiburg i. Br.: Janus-Verlag, 2002, str. 38-42.