Archive Results For: Antiquity
The Greek Sewn Shipbuilding Tradition and the Ma’agan Mikhael Ship: a Comparison with Mediterranean Parallels from the Sixth to the Fourth Centuries BC
The Ma’agan Mikhael ship was built with a wine-glass shaped, shell based hull, assembled with mortise and tennon joints, but with planking sewn to the stem and sternposts. The paper aims to place the construction methods of the Ma’agan Mikhael ship in the broader context of the development of Ancient Greek shipbuilding between the Sixth […] Read More
Filed under: Antiquity | Mediterranean | Shipwrecks
Subjects include: Archaeology | Shipbuilding & Design
Pyramidal Anchor Stone from Baga Waters of Goa, West Coast of India
Description of pyramidal anchor stone found off the coast of the city of Baga in Goa, a region susceptible to shipwrecks due to storms, hidden reefs and sand bars. The characteristics of the anchor stone are described, and whilst is does share some of the characteristics with Indo-Aran type stones, however, there are differences that […] Read More
Filed under: Antiquity | Indian Ocean | Shipwrecks
Subjects include: Archaeology
Athenian Naval Power in the Sixth Century: the Development of a Trireme Fleet
This article studies the development of trireme warfare, the significance of the Megarian War, and the influence of Pisistratus in the local politics of the century. Read More
Filed under: Antiquity | Mediterranean
Subjects include: Battles & Tactics | Shipbuilding & Design
Note: Herodotus 4.42, the Sun Direction
A discussion of the report by Herodotus that Africa had been cicumnavigated by the Phoenicians. Read More
Filed under: Atlantic | Antiquity | Indian Ocean
Subjects include: Miscellaneous | Science & Exploration
A Romano-British Boat from the Shores of the Severn Estuary
Found in 1993, the Barland’s Farm boat was dated to the the late third century AD. The article describes the distinctive features of this boat, all characteristic of the Romano-Celtic tradition. A model was used to establish the dimensions of the original, and her means of propulsion, steering and mooring was established. There is discussion […] Read More
Filed under: Antiquity | Internal Waterways | Other (location)
Subjects include: Shipbuilding & Design
Polycrates of Samos and the First Greek Trireme Fleet
An important element in the development of pre-Christian naval warfare in the Eastern Mediterranean was the development of the trireme as successor to the pentecontor in the mid and late- sixth century BC. Herodotus relates that Polycrates of Samos possessed a formidable fleet that included 40 triremes, the earliest reference to the trireme in contemporary […] Read More
Filed under: Antiquity | Mediterranean
Subjects include: Battles & Tactics | Navies | Ship Handling & Seamanship | Shipbuilding & Design | Strategy & Diplomacy | Weapons
Note: A Sea-fight 500 Years Ago
Evidence of the battles at sea in the Mediterranean are examined for details of ship-design and armaments. Read More
Filed under: Antiquity | Mediterranean
Subjects include: Battles & Tactics | Shipbuilding & Design | Weapons
The Water Supply of the Argo and Other Oared Ships
The supply of drinking water aboard sea-going vessels has been a challenge of logistics for millennia, with the volume and consumption of water being a major factor in health at sea. Sleeswyk and Meijer’s paper seeks to establish the daily requirement and methods of storage aboard Greek vessels of Antiquity operating in Mediterranean conditions. Conclusions […] Read More
Filed under: Antiquity | Mediterranean | Health at Sea
Subjects include: Logistics
Note: Roman Naval Ranks
The few sources of information on organisation within the Roman Navy are explored. The role of the naval force is deduced to be that of an auxiliary within the military machine. Read More
Filed under: Antiquity | Other (location)
Subjects include: Navies
The Development of the Trireme
The trireme appeared in c. 700 BC. At first they were not built in great numbers and were used mainly to transport troops but in the last quarter of the sixth century BC the Greeks developed the trireme into a powerful military machine which achieved dominance in naval affairs. Propelled by 170 oarsmen and supported […] Read More
Filed under: Antiquity | Mediterranean
Subjects include: Battles & Tactics | Navies | Ship Handling & Seamanship | Shipbuilding & Design | Strategy & Diplomacy | Weapons