#MAREMonday 18

On 16.01.2023 we present the 18th session of our online lecture series with a contribution by

Georgia-Dimitra Kyriakou
(Department of History and Archaeology – University of Cyprus)

The evolution of the mast-step in the Mediterranean (7th c. BC – 3rd c. AD):
A structural and functional analysis

Abstract:

The mast-step is the longitudinal structure and the complex system which was intended to receive and secure the mast of a vessel. This structural element, essential for the integrity and the seaworthiness of any sailing ship, however, has not been sufficiently studied or interpreted. The topic was last approached by Geannette (1983) but since then, new discoveries of shipwrecks that preserve their mast-step have been added to the archaeological record. This paper will discuss the results of an attempt to re-examine and re- evaluate the available data, aiming to contextualize the changes in the construction of the mast-step in the longue durée.

The analysis begins with the earliest archaeological evidence (7th century BC) in the Mediterranean, until the end of the Early Roman period (3rd century AD). A corpus of the related shipwrecks, selected iconographic evidence and results from experimental archaeology is the basis for a diachronic examination of the mast-step’s form, function, adjacent elements, as well as its placement and position into the hull. As a result, a structural typology is suggested in association with specific Mediterranean shipbuilding traditions (Pomey, Kahanov and Rieth 2012; Pomey and Boetto 2019).

Bibliography:

Geannette, M. A., 1983, Mast Step and Keelson: The Early Development of a Shipbuilding Technology. Master’s Thesis, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.

Pomey, P., Kahanov, Y. and Rieth, E., 2012, Transition from Shell to Skeleton in Ancient Mediterranean Ship-Construction: analysis, problems, and future research. IJNA 41.2, 235– 314.

Pomey, P. and Boetto, J., 2019, Ancient Mediterranean Sewn-Boat Traditions. IJNA 48.1, 5- 51.