Rethinking the Hansetaic Cog and Related cargo vessels

The Conference Book of the General Union of Arab Archeologists

‫العربي‬ ‫الوطن‬ ‫آثار‬ ‫في‬ ‫دراسات‬ 9-35-and the quality of knowledge they produce on life and activities of people who made and sailed them. The ships as an artefact There are two possible approaches to the study of boats and ships as material culture. They could be studied as objects in their own right, looking into their distinctive technical and functional attributes and materialistic features. Also, they could be viewed as cultural carriers, reflecting the environment, knowledge, material, traditions, organisation and beliefs of their parent societies 3. On the other hand, ships and boats have many characteristics, which distinguish them from most other types of artefacts and archaeological source material. Besides being complex, multifunctional, moving artefacts, what distinguishes them the most is the fact that they are an ideal representative of cooperation and teamwork in many of their characteristics. Building and using boats might have started in its earlier stages as an individual operation, performed by a single person, but soon after, as ships became bigger and more complex, more people were involved in all phases of the ship 's working life, from construction to operation (figs.1, 2). Therefore, shipbuilding and sailing are considered social practices, which require cooperation and coordination between a number of men with different skills and capabilities. Accordingly, a ship is an ideal representation of cooperative social action, which utilising the most advanced and developed skills and knowledge of any society. 3 Hasslöf, O. 1972. Main principles in the Technology of ShipBuilding. In O. Hasslöf et al (eds.) Ships and Shipyards-Sailors and Fishermen, Copenhagen. pp. 27-72. Murphy, L. op. cit. Watson, P. 1983. Method and Theory in Shipwreck Archaeology. In R. Gould (ed.

Contemporary Philosophy for Maritime Archaeology, 2023

This chapter reviews maritime archaeological theory and changing paradigms from the first shipwreck excavation in the 11th century AD through the advent of modern maritime archaeology in 1960 and contemporary theory today. The chapter is published in Contemporary Philosophy for Maritime Archaeology (2023), which is available to read for free on the Sidestone website: https://www.sidestone.com/books/contemporary-philosophy-for-maritime-archaeology

An review of archaeological data shows Dutch flush shipbuilding as following a different conceptual approach than Mediterranean, Ibero-Atlantic, English or French shipbuilding in early modern times. The archaeological correlates for Dutch-Flush shipbuilding are identified. Given the necessary level of expert skill we must conclude that Dutch flush shipbuilding had technological advantages over the Iberian, French or English shipbuilding traditions. These resulted in a frugal use of timber and a comparatively fast building procedure. It is concluded that the technological anomaly of Dutch flush shipbuilding must be held responsible for its success, which in turn was instrumental in creating the economic and cultural boom known as the Golden Age. However, the technological deviation was not innovative or 'modem' at all. Indeed, it was in sticking to a well-established building sequence and in persisting in a purely practical tradition of expertise that the Dutch could make the most of their production lines.

International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 2018

2012

Form Akademisk, 2023

Reconstruction is an essential tool for gaining knowledge of shipwrecks in maritime archaeology. This paper examines some theoretical and practical consequences of viewing vessels not as finished objects but as things that are continuously being made during their lifetime. This is done by proposing perspectives on things that uphold their biography as an essential characteristic. To illustrate this, the 16th-century shipwreck Bispevika 16 (Oslo harbour) will be an example of a vessel showing minor and significant technical changes throughout its life. Its most manifest change is the addition of an outer layer of carvel planks on the lapstrake-built hull. This makes this vessel one of a growing number of archaeologically known converted lapstrake-built vessels in Northern Europe.

International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 2024