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25 pages, 12965 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combining Historical, Remote-Sensing, and Photogrammetric Data to Estimate the Wreck Site of the USS Kearsarge

by William Gomez Pretel, Andres Carvajal Diaz and Moonsoo Jeong

Heritage 2023, 6(3), 2308-2332; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6030122 - 21 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2273

Colombia has hundreds of historical shipwrecks, but systematic research on this topic is scarce, which makes locating wreck sites problematic. Colombia is home to the Caribbean archipelago of San Andres, Old Providence, and Santa Catalina. Its complex environmental conditions make it a “ship [...] Read more.

Colombia has hundreds of historical shipwrecks, but systematic research on this topic is scarce, which makes locating wreck sites problematic. Colombia is home to the Caribbean archipelago of San Andres, Old Providence, and Santa Catalina. Its complex environmental conditions make it a “ship trap”. On 2 February 1894, the USS Kearsarge ran aground on Roncador Cay, one of the Archipelago’s islets, and the location of the wreck site remains uncertain. Due to its role in the American Civil War, the Kearsarge is important naval heritage. Based on historical and cartographic records, orthophotographs, Landsat images, and light-detection-and-ranging (LiDAR) data, this study aimed to estimate the location of the wreck site in a Geographic Information System (GIS). Court-martial records, particularly nautical data and astronomical coordinates, were reviewed, including a study from 1894 indicating the wreck’s location on a map without coordinates. Nautical charts were also analyzed to find the Kearsarge wreck symbol. To identify the wreck site’s ordnance, logbooks and information on previous salvage efforts were examined. The analysis of nautical charts revealed a few shipwrecks, but not the Kearsarge. Historical and remote-sensing data were processed in a GIS, along with the most recent nautical chart of Roncador Cay from 2017, to obtain a possible geographical location. This resulted in coordinates, which were used to detect features associated with the USS Kearsarge in the processed data. Although the wreck was not detected, the data helped to estimate the approximate coordinates for where the wreck could be located, quantifying our degree of uncertainty. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shipwreck Archaeology)

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20 pages, 15115 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Analysis of Lifting from On-Site and Conservation of the Yenikapı Shipwrecks

by Ufuk Kocabaş and Işıl Özsait-Kocabaş

Heritage 2023, 6(2), 1871-1890; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6020100 - 10 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1584

Abstract

The important commercial center of Constantinople’s Theodosian Harbor was brought to light during the Yenikapı excavations carried out by the Istanbul Archaeological Museums for nine years, starting in 2004. Hundreds of thousands of archaeological finds and the remains of thirty-seven ships sunk in [...] Read more.

The important commercial center of Constantinople’s Theodosian Harbor was brought to light during the Yenikapı excavations carried out by the Istanbul Archaeological Museums for nine years, starting in 2004. Hundreds of thousands of archaeological finds and the remains of thirty-seven ships sunk in different centuries were discovered at the harbor site. Upon the invitation of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, Istanbul University undertook the removal, documentation, and construction technology studies of twenty-seven shipwrecks and the conservation work of 31 shipwrecks. Shipwrecks were documented in situ and removed from the site using various methods appropriate to their preserved conditions. Post-excavation documentation, technology research, and conservation procedures of the Yenikapı shipwrecks continue today. This article aims to present a collective evaluation of the lifting and conservation methodology of shipwrecks carried out by the Division of Conservation of Marine Archaeological Objects of Istanbul University. In this context, the relationship between removing ship remains from the excavation site and conservation practices has been analyzed comparatively by referring to display styles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shipwreck Archaeology)

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14 pages, 4088 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding the Char-Bending Technique in Shipwreck Planks

by Moshe Bram and Yoav Me-Bar

Heritage 2023, 6(2), 1754-1767; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6020093 - 6 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1674

Abstract

Char-bending is a term used in marine archaeology literature to describe the process of shaping long hull components (planks, wales, stringers) by bending them over open fire, from Antiquity, up to modern times. Experiments were done on planks of two wood species with [...] Read more.

Char-bending is a term used in marine archaeology literature to describe the process of shaping long hull components (planks, wales, stringers) by bending them over open fire, from Antiquity, up to modern times. Experiments were done on planks of two wood species with different cross-sections. The planks were heated over open fire while monitoring the internal temperature and charred layer thickness on the side of the plank facing the heat source. The results show that in order to reach the temperature inside the wood required for it to become pliable, the formation of a charred layer, an undesirable by-product, is unavoidable. It is explained why char-bending, in almost all cases, occurs on the concave side of the plank. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shipwreck Archaeology)

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11 pages, 3275 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Venetian Warships of Lake Garda. News of the Benacus Project: What If Fresh Water Is No Longer Protective?

by Massimo Capulli

Heritage 2023, 6(2), 1594-1604; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6020085 - 2 Feb 2023

Viewed by 2149

Abstract

With the French at the door, on May 31st of 1509, the Head of the Venetian Garda fleet received the order to burn and sink the ships and come back to Venice: the war on the lake was temporarily lost. The small fleet, [...] Read more.

With the French at the door, on May 31st of 1509, the Head of the Venetian Garda fleet received the order to burn and sink the ships and come back to Venice: the war on the lake was temporarily lost. The small fleet, whose base was at Lazise, was formed by one light galley and two fustas, so the commandant sunk the galley and one fusta in front of the town and went with the third ship to the northern lake to take a safe trip to Venice on horseback. One shipwreck was discovered in 1960 and was studied in several campaigns, but it was not clear if it was a small galley or a large fusta. New research was started in 2018 with BENĀCUS, a project of the Department of Humanities and Cultural Heritage of the University of Udine, in a joint venture with the Trieste and Firenze Universities, and under the Superintendency for the Archaeology, Arts and Landscape of the provinces of Verona, Vicenza and Rovigo. The aim of this project was an historical research and geophysical survey to map the underwater cultural heritage (UCH) of Garda Lake. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shipwreck Archaeology)

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10 pages, 1747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential Issues in the Conservation of Bone and Teeth in Maritime Archaeology

by Edda Emanuela Guareschi, Paola Annarosa Magni and Heather G. Berry

Heritage 2023, 6(2), 779-788; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6020042 - 17 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2375

Abstract

Since the 1940s, when maritime archaeology was established, the systematic excavation of submerged wrecks began to be refined. Systematic excavations led to the recovery of a vast array of organic and inorganic artefacts, including human and non-human bones and teeth. In order to [...] Read more.

Since the 1940s, when maritime archaeology was established, the systematic excavation of submerged wrecks began to be refined. Systematic excavations led to the recovery of a vast array of organic and inorganic artefacts, including human and non-human bones and teeth. In order to preserve the materials recovered from the sea, the discipline of maritime conservation rapidly expanded and dealt with unique issues, including, but not limited to, marine salts’ encrustation of archaeological artefacts. Bone and teeth are organic artefacts which provide crucial information about natural and social environments of the past. When recovered from marine settings, they are often friable and require conservation processes and consolidation treatments, e.g., to prevent shrinkage during drying. However, conservation processes and consolidants can interfere with pathological, traumatic and taphonomical evidence associated with bone and teeth, and can bias sample preparation and analysis through mechanical action and chemical composition. The aim of this paper, in which a few examples of interference are listed, is to highlight the need of accurately documenting any type of conservation process and/or consolidation treatment that has been performed on bone and teeth stored in archaeological collections. This becomes essential when samples are selected for study, especially if this includes destructive analysis, and will assist in clarifying any conflicting results, leading to reliable interpretations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shipwreck Archaeology)

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14 pages, 282 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Shipwrecks and Storytelling

by Filipe Castro and Susana Medina

Heritage 2022, 5(4), 3397-3410; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage5040174 - 10 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1807

Abstract

Shipwreck stories have the potential to attract the attention of a wide public in different ways. Based on the Portuguese situation, of a country with a mythical past connected to the sea but a public policy for maritime archeology that lacks vision, purpose, [...] Read more.

Shipwreck stories have the potential to attract the attention of a wide public in different ways. Based on the Portuguese situation, of a country with a mythical past connected to the sea but a public policy for maritime archeology that lacks vision, purpose, or strategy and tends to exclude the public, this paper proposes a reflection on the social value of archeology and the potential it has for education and entertainment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shipwreck Archaeology)

17 pages, 6256 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Deep Water Archaeology in Italy and in the Tyrrhenian Sea

by Carlo Beltrame, Elisa Costa and Guido Gay

Heritage 2022, 5(3), 2106-2122; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage5030110 - 8 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3231

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the history of the research in deep water archaeology in Italy and the recent activities carried out by Fondazione Azionemare, in collaboration with the Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici of the Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, in the Tyrrhenian [...] Read more.

This paper presents an overview of the history of the research in deep water archaeology in Italy and the recent activities carried out by Fondazione Azionemare, in collaboration with the Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici of the Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Through a preliminary presentation of some shipwrecks dated to the Roman period, discovered by the Fondazione Azionemare and investigated, thanks also to photogrammetry, with the archaeologists of the Venetian university, this article analyses the characteristics and the potentialities of these contexts, which present an excellent level of conservation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shipwreck Archaeology)

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22 pages, 20216 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Served on a Plate: A Late Medieval Ceramic Vessel with Sgraffito Decoration of a Sailing Ship from the Ropotamo Underwater Excavations, Black Sea, Bulgaria

by Dragomir Garbov and Kroum Batchvarov

Heritage 2022, 5(1), 170-191; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage5010010 - 12 Jan 2022

Viewed by 3304

Abstract

We report on the interpretation of a late medieval Eastern Mediterranean glazed ceramic vessel with sgraffito decoration depicting a sailing ship. The artefact represents a chance find that was recovered outside the excavation area of the Ropotamo underwater archaeological excavations on the Southern [...] Read more.

We report on the interpretation of a late medieval Eastern Mediterranean glazed ceramic vessel with sgraffito decoration depicting a sailing ship. The artefact represents a chance find that was recovered outside the excavation area of the Ropotamo underwater archaeological excavations on the Southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in 2017. Fragments of late medieval sgraffito-decorated ceramics with depictions of sailing ships are rare. Complete examples can be considered exceptional. The Ropotamo artefact is of particular interest due to the freehand execution of its decoration, which suggests some understanding of contemporary ship proportions and seafaring practices on behalf of the artisan. The specimen is analyzed against similar artefacts and discussed in the context of maritime graffiti from the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean regions. The aim is to establish its potential for studying archaeological ceramics and evaluate the extent to which the decoration reflects aspects of Eastern Mediterranean maritime culture of the late Byzantine and early post-Byzantine periods. More research is required to appreciate the full potential of the Ropotamo artefact. A hypothesis for origin, dating and significance has been proposed. However, due to a shortage of published parallels, it may be subject to further refinements in the future in case more stratified similis are identified. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shipwreck Archaeology)

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20 pages, 8382 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Master Frame and Flat Floor-Timber: An ‘Architectural Signature’ of the Mediterranean Shipyards?

by Eric Rieth

Heritage 2021, 4(4), 2623-2642; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage4040148 - 23 Sep 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2510

Abstract

This article is an attempt to analyse the master frame form characterised by a flat floor-timber, a sharp or shaped turn of the bilge, and more or less straight sides. This form of master frame is associated with the Mediterranean architecture of the [...] Read more.

This article is an attempt to analyse the master frame form characterised by a flat floor-timber, a sharp or shaped turn of the bilge, and more or less straight sides. This form of master frame is associated with the Mediterranean architecture of the ‘frame-based’ principle, as attested from the end of the 5th century to the beginning of the 6th century AD Dor 2001/1 shipwreck (Israel), which is considered as one of the five origins (Root 4: Nilotic-riverine) of the ‘frame-based’ architecture. A series of medieval and modern wrecks of coastal ships and galleys bear witness to this form of master frame linked more generally to the Mediterranean whole moulding. In view of the consistency of these archaeological as well as ethnographic evidence on traditional Mediterranean shipbuilding, this form of master frame with a flat floor-timber appears to be one of the most revealing ‘architectural signatures’ of the practices of Mediterranean shipyards. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shipwreck Archaeology)

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13 pages, 10324 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthetic 3D Recording of a Shipwreck Embedded in Seafloor Sediments: Distinguishing Internal Details

by Lars O. Boldreel, Ole Grøn and Deborah Cvikel

Heritage 2021, 4(2), 541-553; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage4020032 - 24 Mar 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2982

Abstract

3D recording of shipwrecks completely buried in seafloor sediments has great potential as an important aspect of maritime archaeological surveys and management. Buried shipwrecks have been recorded directly with seismic 3D Chirp sub-bottom profilers on an experimental basis. This method is, however, expensive, [...] Read more.

3D recording of shipwrecks completely buried in seafloor sediments has great potential as an important aspect of maritime archaeological surveys and management. Buried shipwrecks have been recorded directly with seismic 3D Chirp sub-bottom profilers on an experimental basis. This method is, however, expensive, time-consuming and complicated. This article outlines the application of a faster, cheaper, and less complicated method of synthetic 3D recording, which is also less sensitive to weather conditions. It involves the acquisition of a larger number of seismic 2D high-resolution sub-bottom profiles in a dense grid that does not need to be regular. The method is based on the results of survey work conducted in the Akko Harbour area, on the Carmel coast of Israel, which shows that the shape of the hull of a shipwreck can be precisely determined, and that the sedimentary units bounding it can be outlined and interpreted. Based on an interpretation of the shape of the hull, the depth of the structure was measured, and a 3D image of the shipwreck was subsequently generated. Samples of the sub-seafloor were obtained across the area, and the sample located within the area of the mapped shipwreck was found to contain wood fragments and a piece of rope. This article demonstrates that 2D surveying is a viable and cost-effective alternative to 3D surveying that is able to produce good results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shipwreck Archaeology)

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