Ph.D. Dissertation by Douglas Inglis
Dissertation, Texas A&M University, Anthropology, 2020
This dissertation provides a preliminary report on the discovery of a Third Dynasty boat-burial f... more This dissertation provides a preliminary report on the discovery of a Third Dynasty boat-burial from Abusir South (ca. 2544 BCE), and reevaluates a corpus of 70 Egyptian boats and boat-burials from the third millennium, demonstrating dramatic changes in both funerary practice and nautical technology. The Abusir Boat was excavated between 2015-2016 by the Czech Institute of Egyptology and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology. It is the only known boat-burial dated to Egypt’s Third Dynasty, and the only ancient Egyptian hull recorded with its lacing and wading intact. The 17-meter long funerary barque is a social and technological missing link that ties Khufu's Fourth Dynasty royal ship to the First Dynasty boat-burials from Abydos, Saqqara, Helwan and Abu Rawash.
The first part of this dissertation reevaluates the known corpus of Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom boat-graves. Prior scholarship has frequently assumed chronological continuity in the purpose and meaning of boat-burials and has focused on assigning interpretations based on later textual and iconographic sources. This dissertation challenges these assumptions. Focusing on the archaeological remains, it proposes a new typology for boat-graves, and identifies previously unrecognized patterns in the form, structure, associations, and distribution of boat-burials. These patterns can be linked to an ongoing status race between Egypt’s elites and royalty. Significantly, this dissertation demonstrates that changes in the form and distribution of boat-burials correspond to the wider social patterns proposed in the punctuated equilibrium theory of Egyptian history.
The second part of this dissertation analyzes the development of Egyptian nautical technology. The evidence from the Abusir Boat requires us to re-conceptualize how early Egyptian watercraft were built. This dissertation defines a tradition of “Early Nilotic Laced Construction” and disproves established hypotheses about the construction of Early Dynastic boats. Significantly, while the techniques used to construct the Abusir Boat link it to Early Dynastic boat-building traditions, its overall philosophy of construction is similar to Khufu's royal ship, bridging the immense technological gap between the First and Fourth Dynasty. While nautical technology underwent dramatic technological and philosophical changes following the Old Kingdom, this dissertation reveals how boatwrights innovated through the adaptation and repurposing of older techniques.
Courses and Lectures by Douglas Inglis
Oriental Institute - Public Education Office, 2019
Boats were essential to life and death along the Nile; they facilitated travel and commerce, the ... more Boats were essential to life and death along the Nile; they facilitated travel and commerce, the construction of the pyramids, and navigating the world beyond. During this class, we will look at the fundamental role boats played in the lifeways of ancient Egypt, as well as how they became integrated into both religious rituals and the mortuary cult. We both examine them as cultural and technological objects, and discuss how simple reed rafts developed into complex sailing machines.
Conference Presentations by Douglas Inglis
ARCE Annual Meeting, 2023
From the Early Dynastic Period through the Middle Kingdom, many of Egypt's kings and powerful eli... more From the Early Dynastic Period through the Middle Kingdom, many of Egypt's kings and powerful elites buried boats beside their tombs. Scholars continue to debate the underlying meaning of these boat-burials, and have proposed hypotheses including solar and celestial barques, netherworld passports, and funerary transports. These interpretations frequently rely on later period textual and iconographic sources, emphasize royal monuments over those of the elite, and typically assume continuity in meaning. This study presents a new archaeological analysis and typology for the corpus of 70 published boat-burials. It demonstrates that boat-burials, like mortuary structures, underwent significant changes in form, orientation, arrangement, numbers, and social distribution over the millennia. These changes occurred abruptly, corresponding to the abrupt social changes proposed in the punctuated equilibrium theory of Egyptian history. Significantly, these patterns can be linked to an ongoing status race between Egypt's elites and royalty. Rather than monolithic expressions of a single ideal, such as solar barques, boat-burials served as multi-faceted symbols of power, belief, and access to resources, and their role in Egyptian society and funerary practice evolved dramatically over time.
American Schools of Oriental Research Annual Meeting, 2019
This paper will explore how the design and use of Egyptian boats became entangled with the Niloti... more This paper will explore how the design and use of Egyptian boats became entangled with the Nilotic environment, local resources, religious expression and representations of power. Boats were essential to life along the Nile. As such, they became persistent symbols which were integrated into conceptualizations of the afterlife and the mortuary cult. The newly discovered Third Dynasty boat from Abusir and Khufu's Royal ship are expressions of these religious ideas, as well as expressions of wealth, power, and status. Additionally, the construction these vessels reveals how locally available materials and the Nilotic environment influenced the early evolution of shipbuilding, and thus became entangled with the structural philosophy of Egyptian ships. The advent of large-scale seafaring expeditions, stone transport, and the use of cedar introduced new variables, which resulted in new ship designs, new shipbuilding techniques, and new entanglements.
First Symposium of the Workgroup on Egyptian Riverine Harbours , 2019
The Nile shaped the conceptualization and design of early Egyptian watercraft. Rising and falling... more The Nile shaped the conceptualization and design of early Egyptian watercraft. Rising and falling with the annual flood, the river could become quite shallow, and concealed shifting sandbars and other hazards. Navigation required skilled river pilots, and the changing waterways encouraged the development of flexible, flat-bottomed craft that were well-adapted to beaching, grounding, and navigating at low Nile. Similar flat-bottomed vernacular craft are found on inland waterways from around the world, demonstrating the influence of the riverine environment. While the Nile subtly shifted and changed over time, its principle characteristics remained the same. Nilotic craft, however, changed dramatically over the millennia, suggesting that more factors than simple environmental determinism affected the evolution of rivercraft. This paper will use the framework of entanglement to look at how the philosophy of early Egyptian boat construction was dependent upon and influenced by a range of factors, including the properties of local wood, early shipbuilding traditions, and the riverine environment. It will explore how the advent of seafaring, monumental construction, stone transport, and the use of cedar introduced new entanglements that led to the rapid evolution of vessels operating along the Nile.
ARCE Annual Meeting, 2019
The recently discovered Abusir Boat demonstrates that Early Dynastic boatbuilding techniques pers... more The recently discovered Abusir Boat demonstrates that Early Dynastic boatbuilding techniques persisted through the end of the Third Dynasty. This three-and-a-half century stasis was followed by a series of innovations, in which diverse construction techniques emerged for ceremonial craft, working vessels, and seagoing ships. While multiple factors drove these changes, this paper will focus on the influence of materials and environment. Biased by a culture where lumber is industrially harvested, readily available, and cut to standardized forms regardless of species, it is easy to overlook the importance of the material properties of different woods, as well as the idiosyncrasies of individual pieces of timber. However, ancient boatwrights were artisans, not saw mills. Egyptian boatwrights were entangled with, and guided by the physical properties of local woods (acacia, tamarisk), as well as the Nilotic environment. Their philosophy of shipbuilding depended upon these materials, and produced a stable localized boatbuilding tradition that persisted for centuries. The introduction of new materials (cedar) prompted experimentation, evidenced by Khufu's royal ships. Boatwrights initially adapted traditional techniques, but ultimately developed new methodologies. These changes were compounded by the advent of monumental stone transport, as well as large scale seagoing ventures in the Fourth Dynasty. To combat the stresses of both stone and sea, boatwrights moved beyond traditional lightly-built, flat-bottomed river boats, to ships with robust load-bearing elements, such as curved hulls, hogging trusses, and through-beams. Material and environmental entanglement, along with changes to society and organization, helped drive these punctuated changes in Egyptian ship construction.
American Schools of Oriental Research, 2019
This is a call for papers for the 2019 ASOR organized session: Addressing the Practical and Symbo... more This is a call for papers for the 2019 ASOR organized session: Addressing the Practical and Symbolic Roles of Boats in Antiquity. We encourage researchers from all fields to submit papers that explore the importance and symbolism of boats throughout the ancient Mediterranean world, from Egypt to Mesopotamia to the Aegean and beyond. Abstracts due February 15th. The ASOR meeting will be held in San Diego CA, Nov 20-23, 2019. | Session description: Boats were essential to life and death along the waterways of Ancient Egypt and the Near East. They facilitated long-distance travel and trade, state formation, the construction of the pyramids, and even navigating the world beyond. Their importance to maritime societies resulted in their use as persistent symbols, as well as their integration into religious and cultural metaphors throughout the region. This double session will examine the significance of watercraft as both cultural and technological objects, and explore their integration into cultic practice, funerary beliefs, and displays of social status.
Current Research In Egyptology Conference, Prague, 2018
In 2015, the Czech Institute of Egyptology discovered the remains of a Third Dynasty boat-burial ... more In 2015, the Czech Institute of Egyptology discovered the remains of a Third Dynasty boat-burial at Abusir South. The discovery is unique in its preservation of both the shape of the hull and the complex lacing system used to bind the planks together. In stark contrast to the dozens of boat-burials from the First and Fourth Dynasty, the Abusir boat is the sole vessel dated to the Third Dynasty. The Abusir Boat combines Early Dynastic shipbuilding technology with Old Kingdom nautical forms, making it a missing link that ties Khufu's royal ship to the Early Dynastic boat burials discovered at Abydos, Saqqara, Helwan and Abu Rawash. As a transitional form, the newly discovered vessel helps explain the dramatic changes in form, size, ownership, and construction of boat-burials that occurred between the First and Fourth Dynasty.
ARCE Annual Meeting, 2018
In 2015, the Czech Institute of Egyptology discovered the remains of a boat-burial associated wit... more In 2015, the Czech Institute of Egyptology discovered the remains of a boat-burial associated with a large Third Dynasty mastaba in Abusir South (Tomb AS54). The 17-meter long funerary barque is a social and technological missing link that ties Khufu's royal ship to the Early Dynastic boat burials discovered at Abydos, Saqqara, Helwan and Abu Rawash. While at least 44 boat burials have been discovered from the Early Dynastic, the Abusir Boat is currently the only archaeologically documented boat from the Third Dynasty. The burial context has uniquely preserved both the shape of the hull and the details of intact internal lacing. The Abusir boat allows us to re-conceptualize how early Egyptian watercraft were built, and provides us an opportunity to reconsider evidence from prior discoveries. While its size and construction techniques demonstrate clear continuity with Early Dynastic boat-building traditions, its structural philosophy shares similarities to Khufu's royal ship, bridging the immense technological gap between Early Dynastic and Fourth Dynasty watercraft. Given the technological features and the position of the boat in a non-royal environment, this artifact challenges several traditional opinions about Egyptian burial customs and the modes of interaction between the royal and non-royal spheres of the period.
During the course of the 2015 field campaign in Abusir, the Czech Institute of Egyptology discove... more During the course of the 2015 field campaign in Abusir, the Czech Institute of Egyptology discovered the remains of a 17-meter-long funerary barque. It was located in a non-royal cemetery in the southern part of the concession where a wealth of high officials of the Third - Sixth Dynasty Egyptian Old Kingdom were buried (2670-2150 BC). The vessel appears to be associated with Tomb AS54, a 53-meter-long Third Dynasty mastaba dating to the reign of Huni.
The Abusir boat bridges the gap between Khufu's royal ship and the Early Dynastic boat burials discovered at Abydos, Saqqara, Helwan and Abu Rawash. While the erratic preservation environment had reduced the majority of the hull to frass and fragments, painstaking excavation revealed spectacular examples of the complex lacing system used to bind the planks together, as well as other delicate construction elements seen nowhere else. The construction methodology is significantly different than that of Khufu's royal ship, and provides critical insights into ancient Egyptian shipbuilding techniques. Given the technological features and the position of the boat in the non-royal environment, this artefact challenges several traditional opinions about the society, burial customs and the
modes of interaction between the royal and non-royal spheres of the period.
Papers by Douglas Inglis
UPDATE the results of the 2015 and forward RBRP Seasons has been documented in detail by Dougla... more UPDATE the results of the 2015 and forward RBRP Seasons has been documented in detail by Douglas Inglis at the following site https://www.tobagoshipwrecks.com
The 2014 Rockley Bay Research Project (RBRP) Report, describes the geophysical survey and archaeological investigations conducted in Scarborough Harbour, Tobago from March 7 to 14, and May 22 to June 28 2014. The objective of this expedition was to locate and record 17th century shipwrecks associated with the Franco-Dutch naval battle of 1677. Three search areas covering approximately 5.7 million square feet (131 acres) were surveyed with side-scan sonar and magnetometer. Sixteen anomalies were identified. Thirteen of these targets were investigated by dive teams, and divers were able to identify material creating magnetic anomalies at eight of the sites. One of the targets proved to be components of a 45 meter long wreck site consisting of a total of eight cannon of various sizes and calibers, galley bricks, ballast stones. The cannon and associated artifacts indicate that it is a coherent and potentially historically significant 17th century wreck site.
This report describes the findings from the preliminary assessment survey to locate, evaluate an... more This report describes the findings from the preliminary assessment survey to locate, evaluate and record 17th century shipwrecks within the territorial waters of Trinidad & Tobago. During the ten day expedition, the team located and recorded multiple cannon, anchor, ceramic, and metal artifacts as well as wooden hull remains of five to seven shipwrecks in Rockly Bay, Scarborough Harbour, Tobago. The team also investigated an 18th- 19th century wreck off of Monos Islands, Trinidad.
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Ph.D. Dissertation by Douglas Inglis
The first part of this dissertation reevaluates the known corpus of Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom boat-graves. Prior scholarship has frequently assumed chronological continuity in the purpose and meaning of boat-burials and has focused on assigning interpretations based on later textual and iconographic sources. This dissertation challenges these assumptions. Focusing on the archaeological remains, it proposes a new typology for boat-graves, and identifies previously unrecognized patterns in the form, structure, associations, and distribution of boat-burials. These patterns can be linked to an ongoing status race between Egypt’s elites and royalty. Significantly, this dissertation demonstrates that changes in the form and distribution of boat-burials correspond to the wider social patterns proposed in the punctuated equilibrium theory of Egyptian history.
The second part of this dissertation analyzes the development of Egyptian nautical technology. The evidence from the Abusir Boat requires us to re-conceptualize how early Egyptian watercraft were built. This dissertation defines a tradition of “Early Nilotic Laced Construction” and disproves established hypotheses about the construction of Early Dynastic boats. Significantly, while the techniques used to construct the Abusir Boat link it to Early Dynastic boat-building traditions, its overall philosophy of construction is similar to Khufu's royal ship, bridging the immense technological gap between the First and Fourth Dynasty. While nautical technology underwent dramatic technological and philosophical changes following the Old Kingdom, this dissertation reveals how boatwrights innovated through the adaptation and repurposing of older techniques.
Courses and Lectures by Douglas Inglis
Conference Presentations by Douglas Inglis
The Abusir boat bridges the gap between Khufu's royal ship and the Early Dynastic boat burials discovered at Abydos, Saqqara, Helwan and Abu Rawash. While the erratic preservation environment had reduced the majority of the hull to frass and fragments, painstaking excavation revealed spectacular examples of the complex lacing system used to bind the planks together, as well as other delicate construction elements seen nowhere else. The construction methodology is significantly different than that of Khufu's royal ship, and provides critical insights into ancient Egyptian shipbuilding techniques. Given the technological features and the position of the boat in the non-royal environment, this artefact challenges several traditional opinions about the society, burial customs and the
modes of interaction between the royal and non-royal spheres of the period.
Papers by Douglas Inglis
The 2014 Rockley Bay Research Project (RBRP) Report, describes the geophysical survey and archaeological investigations conducted in Scarborough Harbour, Tobago from March 7 to 14, and May 22 to June 28 2014. The objective of this expedition was to locate and record 17th century shipwrecks associated with the Franco-Dutch naval battle of 1677. Three search areas covering approximately 5.7 million square feet (131 acres) were surveyed with side-scan sonar and magnetometer. Sixteen anomalies were identified. Thirteen of these targets were investigated by dive teams, and divers were able to identify material creating magnetic anomalies at eight of the sites. One of the targets proved to be components of a 45 meter long wreck site consisting of a total of eight cannon of various sizes and calibers, galley bricks, ballast stones. The cannon and associated artifacts indicate that it is a coherent and potentially historically significant 17th century wreck site.
The first part of this dissertation reevaluates the known corpus of Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom boat-graves. Prior scholarship has frequently assumed chronological continuity in the purpose and meaning of boat-burials and has focused on assigning interpretations based on later textual and iconographic sources. This dissertation challenges these assumptions. Focusing on the archaeological remains, it proposes a new typology for boat-graves, and identifies previously unrecognized patterns in the form, structure, associations, and distribution of boat-burials. These patterns can be linked to an ongoing status race between Egypt’s elites and royalty. Significantly, this dissertation demonstrates that changes in the form and distribution of boat-burials correspond to the wider social patterns proposed in the punctuated equilibrium theory of Egyptian history.
The second part of this dissertation analyzes the development of Egyptian nautical technology. The evidence from the Abusir Boat requires us to re-conceptualize how early Egyptian watercraft were built. This dissertation defines a tradition of “Early Nilotic Laced Construction” and disproves established hypotheses about the construction of Early Dynastic boats. Significantly, while the techniques used to construct the Abusir Boat link it to Early Dynastic boat-building traditions, its overall philosophy of construction is similar to Khufu's royal ship, bridging the immense technological gap between the First and Fourth Dynasty. While nautical technology underwent dramatic technological and philosophical changes following the Old Kingdom, this dissertation reveals how boatwrights innovated through the adaptation and repurposing of older techniques.
The Abusir boat bridges the gap between Khufu's royal ship and the Early Dynastic boat burials discovered at Abydos, Saqqara, Helwan and Abu Rawash. While the erratic preservation environment had reduced the majority of the hull to frass and fragments, painstaking excavation revealed spectacular examples of the complex lacing system used to bind the planks together, as well as other delicate construction elements seen nowhere else. The construction methodology is significantly different than that of Khufu's royal ship, and provides critical insights into ancient Egyptian shipbuilding techniques. Given the technological features and the position of the boat in the non-royal environment, this artefact challenges several traditional opinions about the society, burial customs and the
modes of interaction between the royal and non-royal spheres of the period.
The 2014 Rockley Bay Research Project (RBRP) Report, describes the geophysical survey and archaeological investigations conducted in Scarborough Harbour, Tobago from March 7 to 14, and May 22 to June 28 2014. The objective of this expedition was to locate and record 17th century shipwrecks associated with the Franco-Dutch naval battle of 1677. Three search areas covering approximately 5.7 million square feet (131 acres) were surveyed with side-scan sonar and magnetometer. Sixteen anomalies were identified. Thirteen of these targets were investigated by dive teams, and divers were able to identify material creating magnetic anomalies at eight of the sites. One of the targets proved to be components of a 45 meter long wreck site consisting of a total of eight cannon of various sizes and calibers, galley bricks, ballast stones. The cannon and associated artifacts indicate that it is a coherent and potentially historically significant 17th century wreck site.