Gyptis : Sailing Replica of a 6th‐century‐BC Archaic Greek Sewn Boat

This paper discusses three medieval sewn‐plank reconstructions undertaken in the Sultanate of Oman in the past 40 years: the Sohar, Jewel of Muscat, and al‐Hariri Boat. It describes the specific methods of sewn‐plank construction for each vessel and examines the different methods of documentation applied during the three projects. It concludes with a comparison of the data derived from single‐wadding (al‐Hariri Boat) and double‐wadding (Jewel of Muscat) sewing techniques to highlight the differences between the two methods and emphasize the importance of documenting such reconstructions.

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sewn‐Plank Reconstructions of Oman: construction and documentation

Staples

2019

“…The replica of the 4th‐century‐BC Greek merchantman Kyrenia II had ten brails (Katzev and Katzev, : 173). The replica of the 6th‐century‐BC Greek sewn‐boat Gyptis had eight of them (Pomey and Poveda, : 7). The brails permitted changing the shape of the sail to take advantage of different sailing conditions (see Roberts, : pls 19, 20).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loose-footed Sails of the Egyptian New Kingdom Ships

Belov

2019

The relief from the temple of Ramesses III (1184–1153 BC) in Medinet Habu is often considered to be the most ancient representation of a brailed sail. According to many researchers, the loose‐footed sail and the system of brails were invented in the ancient countries of the Syro‐Canaanite coast and were later adopted by the Ancient Egyptians. However, iconographic material from Ancient Egypt testifies to the indigenous origin of a loose‐footed sail. The article presents an unknown relief from the Amarna period (1352–1336 BC) that further supports this hypothesis.

“…Finally, a coating of a mixture of beeswax and resinous pitch was applied inside—and probably also outside according to results from the experimental sailing replica Gyptis (Pomey and Poveda, : 230–231, : 51–52)—of the hull.…”

Section: The Greek Traditionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient Mediterranean Sewn-Boat Traditions

Pomey

Boetto

2019

Self Cite

This article provides a summary and analysis of current knowledge of the archaeological remains of the 64 sewn boats that have been excavated in the Mediterranean region, dating from the Bronze Age to the Medieval periods. A detailed examination of the construction techniques, particularly the methods used to assemble and seal sewn planks and the systems used for lashing frames to the planking, has enabled six distinct construction traditions to be distinguished within the sewn‐boat assemblage. Phases within these traditions are examined, alongside transitions to mortise‐and‐tenon fasteners, and explanations for the longevity of sewn techniques in specific regions are suggested.