Archive Results For: Antiquity
A Bronze Age Anchor
Excavations undertaken during the years from 1924 on in Malta revealed a number of objects whose form justifies their classification as anchors. The small anchors, suspected to be votive objects, date back to the Bronze Age and not later than 800 BC. After that period, it is possible to find numerous other examples of anchors […] Read More
Filed under: Antiquity | Mediterranean
Subjects include: Archaeology
Early Chinese Ships and Trade
The origin of Chinese vessels is obscure but similarities with Nile vessels suggest western influence. The first historical mention of a Chinese vessel is in 331 BC. Roman and Chinese accounts document trade between the Near East and China before AD 500. After AD 622 Chinese navigation expanded with many vessels trading throughout the Indian […] Read More
Filed under: Antiquity | Other (Early Modern) | Other (Eighteenth C) | Indian Ocean | Pacific | Internal Waterways
Subjects include: Archaeology | Miscellaneous
Some Forgotten Chapters in Naval History
As the title of the article above indicates, this is a rather whimsical and “tongue in check” historical account of the affairs of man in early Naval history. It can also be taken as a parody on early English vs. continent naval events as well as a “dig” at naval historians. The article is a […] Read More
Filed under: Antiquity | English Channel | North Sea | Other (location)
Subjects include: Manpower & Life at Sea | Miscellaneous | Navies | Science & Exploration | Weapons
The Navigators of the Indian Ocean Prior to the Era of European Dominion
This paper advances the hypothesis that seafaring first evolved in the Indian Ocean; factors include the abundance of fish off its shores, the expertise of the stargazers of the east, the regularity of the monsoon and the geographical configuration of the ocean. An account is given of the development of Arabian and Chinese trade routes. […] Read More
Filed under: Prehistory | Antiquity | Medieval | Other (Early Modern) | Indian Ocean
Subjects include: Ship Handling & Seamanship
Naval Museums Part VI Germany
Berlin has a number of important collections which include models of 17c Dutch warships, Prussian coasters and inland traders, Egyptian and Eastern vessels, together with engravings and plates. The museums of Nuremburg, Munich, Lubech, Bremen, Hannover and Hamburg have ship-models from Egypt to the “Preussen”, and pictures of snows, schooners brigs and coasters. Bremen also […] Read More
Filed under: Prehistory | Antiquity | Medieval | Other (Early Modern) | Other (Twentieth C) | Other (Nineteenth C) | Other (Eighteenth C) | Other (location)
Subjects include: Art & Music | Historic Vessels, Museums & Restoration | Leisure & Small Craft | Merchant Marines | Navies | Ocean Liners & Passenger Craft | Ship Models & Figureheads
The Dress of the British Seaman Part I
British sailors, in Roman times, wore, poetically, blue or azure leather. The sea-kit of the Cinque ports was a blue woolen tunic. Chaucer’s 14c seamen preferred blue or brown serge knee-length gowns; still seen recently amongst West Country fishermen. Cotes, jacketts and doublets, gowns, shirt, hose and shoes were provided to crew. Tudors liking for […] Read More
Filed under: Tudors | Antiquity | Medieval | Early Modern | Health at Sea | Other (location)
Subjects include: Administration | Art & Music | Manpower & Life at Sea | Merchant Marines | Navies
Development from Log to Clipper Part III
The dugout rather than the raft may be the predecessor of planked ships. Predynastic Egypt used craft made of papyrus, ambatch, rush and acantha. Egyptian amphorae have ships, rowers and punters pictured; monuments and sarcophagi have larger sailing craft. The Phoenicians were, of political necessity, consummate navigators and traders; exploring from Malabar to the Baltic […] Read More
Filed under: Prehistory | Atlantic | Antiquity | Baltic | Other (Twentieth C) | Mediterranean | Indian Ocean | Other (location)
Subjects include: Art & Music | Leisure & Small Craft | Merchant Marines | Science & Exploration | Shipbuilding & Design
Wicker Vessels
The coracle is over-emphasised. In the time of the Romans, Venetian planked boats may have traded to Britain. However, the locals, as Pliny remarks, used hide-covered osier-framed sea-going boats rather like the umiak, that can hold over twenty Eskimos. The Irish, oared, sea-fishing curragh is a survivor of the type still in ordinary use in […] Read More
Filed under: Atlantic | Antiquity | English Channel | Medieval | Irish Sea | Other (Early Modern) | Mediterranean
Subjects include: Leisure & Small Craft | Merchant Marines | Ocean Liners & Passenger Craft | Shipbuilding & Design
Development From Log to Clipper Part II
Skin boats were used where vegetable material was lacking; in the Artic and desert Arabia. Rush canoes were built of bullrushes or papyrus around the Pacific, Africa, the Persian Gulf , Peru and Bolivia. Coracles or circular baskets from the Tigris and Nile were made large enough to transport horses. Another development was rafts, sometimes […] Read More
Filed under: Atlantic | Prehistory | Baltic | Antiquity | Other (Twentieth C) | Indian Ocean | Other (location)
Subjects include: Leisure & Small Craft | Merchant Marines | Shipbuilding & Design
Development from Log to Clipper Part I
The details of the evolution from floats to craft by primitive man are lost in the dark glass of the distant past. Floats included coconuts, drift logs, shaped logs and bundles of rushes. Primitive boats comprised dug-outs, bark and skin canoes, rush-boats and coracles. The dugout was hollowed out by mussel shells or adze alone; […] Read More
Filed under: Prehistory | Atlantic | Antiquity | Baltic | Other (Twentieth C) | Indian Ocean | Other (location)
Subjects include: Leisure & Small Craft | Shipbuilding & Design